A Life Full Of Surprises
by darstar
Summary: Welcome to the third story in my "Life" series. You will need to read "A Life Worth Waiting For" for this installment to make sense, and reading the first story "Life as I Saw It" would be a good idea as well. Takes place concurrent with Chapter Forty-three, last chapter of ALWWF. I hope you enjoy this continuation as much as I have writing it. TIVA, McAbby, Gibbs/Mimi
1. Chapter 1

_**Tony and Ziva, standing by Karina's sleeper, stood next to Gibbs, Mimi and Lily, watching Tim and Abby dancing. Seeing the room filled with their friends and family, Tony put his hands around Ziva's waist and declared, "Now, this is what I call a Life Worth Waiting For."**_

_**Welcome to the third story in my "Life" series. You will need to read "A Life Worth Waiting For" for this installment to make sense, and reading the first story "Life as I Saw It" would be a good idea as well. This first chapter takes place concurrent with Chapter Forty-three, the final chapter of ALWWF. I hope you enjoy this continuation as much as I have writing it. I love my new characters and hope those of you who are just now finding this series will enjoy them as well. And now…On with the show!**_

**A Life Full of Surprises**

Chapter One: "Baby Duty"

The wedding party was finally winding down. Gibbs and Mimi had convinced Tony and Ziva to take an actual honeymoon, albeit a short one. It took a lot of arguing and convincing that Karina would be able to survive without her parents for a few days, although Gibbs knew that the _real_ problem was whether or not her parents would survive the separation.

Finally satisfied, it was decided that Karina would stay in her own room and Gibbs and Mimi would stay at Tony and Ziva's house, so Karina would feel more comfortable.

Mimi had taken Karina back home as soon as the last family photo was taken and she had had her last "dance;" and texted Tony and Ziva showing Karina asleep in her crib.

The deal was that they could only call once a day, although they were promised cute pictures and videos would be sent periodically.

In early March, Tony and Gibbs had gone to New York to look at the apartment that was part of his mother's estate.* She had hired a company to rent it out periodically, so it had generated quite a lot of income that had gone into a separate fund that was to be used for repairs, updates and building fees, a fund Tony had not known about.

The apartment was well-maintained, but the decorations were decidedly more 90's than current. But renters didn't care; it was in a great location and had a stunning view of Central Park.

Tony hired a contractor through his lawyer to update the kitchen and bathrooms (it was a three-bedroom apartment). He then had the master bedroom repainted a color he knew would be something Ziva would like and bought all new bedding that was tasteful, but neutral. Ziva could redecorate to her taste later.

It was at this apartment that Tony and Ziva would be staying for their honeymoon in New York. They planned to take in at least one show, but otherwise, they would plan their day daily, leaving it all to desire and whim.

They planned to return on Tuesday, so that meant that they would be away from Karina for almost four days. For them, it felt like a lifetime, but they knew they were leaving her in wonderful and expert hands.

They had left around 10:45, a private jet taking them to New York, courtesy of Tony's dad.* They texted they had arrived without incident and were taking one of the last horse-drawn carriage rides of the evening.

Gibbs, Tim, Abby, Lily, Jimmy and Vance made sure all the presents were accounted for, and that no one left behind any personal items. Breena, well into her second trimester, was taken earlier with Ducky in a cab to his Georgetown brownstone. Jimmy would join them there.

Satisfied that they had everything, the cars were loaded up. Tim and Abby promised to bring by what they had the next day, sometime in the afternoon. Jimmy made a similar statement.

Gibbs had no doubt about the real meaning behind those statements. It had been a long and although happy; an emotional day for all of them. Gibbs doubted any of them would get out of bed before 11am.

Gibbs and Mimi had brought both of their cars, knowing they would need to leave separately. Lily squeezed into Gibbs car, and together they drove to Tony and Ziva's North Arlington Home.

"You're staying at the house tonight too, Lily. I don't know if your mom noticed, but I saw how much champagne you consumed."

"I am not drunk!" She pouted. "I didn't say you were." Gibbs replied. "But I want you to be safe. It's not up for discussion. You are staying with us tonight."

"Ok, _Dad_." When Lily was unhappy with Gibbs, which was very rarely, she referred to Gibbs as "Dad." The rest of the time, he was _"Daddy."_

Gibbs and Mimi had decided to move in together in February, although it was almost March by the time their two households finally had merged. With Jethro's permission, Mimi made some "decorating" changes to his home.

Just having her furniture in the house was a vast improvement. There was no question that the photo of Gibbs, Shannon and Kelly would remain on the mantel.

Joining it would be a photo of Gibbs, Mimi and Lily taken at Tony and Ziva's wedding, when they got it and had it framed. Pictures of Karina would also be added to the place of honor.

Mimi did not want to remove all reminders of Shannon and Kelly, but she talked long and hard with him about leaving Kelly's room untouched from the day she had died.

She thought that it was unhealthy, and wasn't serving any useful purpose. Gibbs put her off for a while, not really wanting to change it.

But he finally saw what she was trying to do and understood what she was saying. The important things were placed in a new curio cabinet that was placed downstairs for everyone to see, so they could see Kelly's life and its important milestones.

The things he couldn't bear to part with, that wouldn't fit in the curio, were placed in a metal container so no damage could come to the precious items, and stored.

He then allowed Lily to redecorate the room to her taste, as that would be her room should she ever decide she needed to come live with them. Mimi decided she would tackle the other bedrooms later, if…well, she didn't want to think that they might not always be together, but this was just a new step, not a permanent situation.

Also added to the Gibbs household was Mimi's Sheltie Bailey. Bailey was a very friendly dog and loved everybody and formed a special attachment to Gibbs from the beginning. He always treated the woman as if he was the alpha dog, but Gibbs was the leader of the pack.

He was a little surprised at the baby, having never seen one before. He showed some interest, but didn't bother her too much. As she got a few months older and started wiggling around and making more noises, he decided she needed protection and could often be found sitting or lying down in front of her crib or pack and play if she was sleeping.

But for the most part, he became Gibbs' new best friend; riding with him in the truck, his mouth open in a wide laugh. He also supervised downstairs when Gibbs' was working on one of his projects.

Gibbs' was at first a little wary of adding a dog to his house, mostly because of the shedding. But you couldn't help but fall in love with Bailey.

He loved having baths and would jump into the bathtub when told he was getting one. He would strut around with a towel over his back, King Bailey with his robe, overseeing all of his subjects.

**North Arlington**

Gibbs pulled into Tony's garage, and started unloading the car. Lily helped, no longer mad. She was a definite "Abby clone" and that extended to having a good heart and wanting everyone to be happy.

Mimi and Bailey met them at the door. "Let's put them in the den for now, I guess, to keep them all together. No, Lily, even the opened ones." A few gifts had been insisted upon being opened at the wedding.

Finally done, both Gibbs and Lily fell back on the sofa in the family room. Mimi joined them, flopping down between them. Satisfied that all was well, and after getting his required ear scratches and butt rubs, Bailey headed upstairs to his assigned post as Karina's personal guard.

"How's the baby?" Gibbs asked.

"Better than were are." Mimi quipped. Gibbs chuckled. "Want some tea?" He bent down and kissed Mimi. "That would be great! Thanks!"

"Lily?" Gibbs called behind his back as he was headed for the kitchen.

"Just a coke if they have any."

"How's root beer?" Gibbs called, not too loudly to wake Karina up.

"That'll work."

He looked quickly in the freezer and shook his head. Gibbs grabbed the requested items and headed back into the family room and dispersed the drinks accordingly.

Sitting back down, he took a long sip. "How long did they say they were going to be gone?" He looked at Mimi with an expression she couldn't quite read.

"They said they would be back by Tuesday. Why?"

"Well, either Karina is a real piggy or they are planning to be away longer than they said. There must be a hundred baby bottles of breast milk in their freezer!" Gibbs shook his head.

Mimi chuckled. "Those are not _all_ for this weekend. Ziva constantly keeps a supply for when they go out, or emergencies. Oh, we will definitely use a lot of them, but really Jethro! Calling your granddaughter a pig!"

"I was figuring she was just taking after her father." At that, both Mimi and Lily started laughing, trying to hold it in and ended up snorting, just like Ziva does. Mimi slapped his arm. "See what you made me do! I hate it when I snort!"

Gibbs grinned. "I find it endearing." He turned to Lily. "The downstairs is yours. If you feel like watching TV or a movie, the room is soundproofed, as long as you don't crank it to brain bleed level."

She raised her can of root beer. "I may just take you up on that offer."

Gibbs got up. "Where are you going?" Mimi asked.

He just grinned, and headed up the stairs. He quietly entered Karina's room and stood at her crib, and watched her sleeping. Bailey looked up briefly, lay back down on his side, rolled onto his back with his legs splayed wide, and started snoring. She looked so peaceful and the perfect combination of her parent's features.

Abby was right, her hair was darkening and showing definite signs of being every bit as curly as her mom's. She had her dad's green eyes, her mom's nose and her dad's mouth.

He marveled at this little creature, thinking of where they were a year ago, just beginning the heart of the Harper Dearing case. Never would he, nor Tony or Ziva he imagined, have thought that a year later Karina Lee DiNozzo would be living proof that life goes on and was worth fighting for.

At first, he didn't get the significance of the middle name. When he asked Tony how he came up with it and he explained it was for Dr. Lee Iredale, Ziva's OB; and for Leroy Gibbs, he almost lost it. Being a fairly gender neutral name, if Karina had been a boy, "Lee" still would have been the middle name.

As he stood looking at his granddaughter, he could hear and sense Mimi coming up behind him. He brought out his arm to put around her shoulders as she reached him.

"How do you do that?" She asked, kissing the offered lips. "It's my job, remember?" They both looked at Karina for a while. Mimi pulled out her phone. "Last photo for the night." She smiled. She quickly and quietly took the picture of the sleeping baby, and one of Bailey; and sent them to both Tony's and Ziva's cell phones.

Together, they left the room and closed the door a crack. They then went to the guest room. "Lily has retired to her "room" as she calls it."

"Good." Gibbs said and pulled Mimi down on the bed. She giggled. "After the long and stressful day you just had, how can you possibly have the energy to do more than sleep?"

"Marines don't need sleep." He kissed her neck. He looked up. "Are you too tired?" He studied her face, concerned.

"I will never be too tired for you, Jethro, my Marine." Gibbs grinned.

**Saturday, April 13, 2013**

Gibbs woke up to find he was alone in bed. He looked at his watch and saw it was 7 am. He groaned, then realized Karina must have woken up and wanted to be fed. He was surprised; because he was sure he would have woken up if she had started crying.

Curious, he got up and headed for the hallway. There, he found Mimi standing just inside Karina's room, but not within her eyesight. Mimi saw him come out of the room and put her finger to his lips, so he wouldn't say anything.

He joined Mimi at the door. From the crib, they could hear Karina, babbling away in her sing-song voice. A lot of it was nonsense, but "mama", "dada", "papa", "baba", "booboo" and other variations of "aa-aa", and "ooo-ooo" words were definitely vocalized. Mimi turned her phone video on so she could send it to Tony and Ziva.

Gibbs was mesmerized. "It almost sounds as if she is singing."

Mimi nodded her head. "She is at the stage where she can entertain herself." They heard one of her jingling rings add to the concert. "She is playing, and teaching herself at the same time. The life of a baby is fascinating."

"However, I think it has been too long since she has last eaten and I don't believe in baby's having to cry in order to get fed, so…"

She headed for the crib, still taking the video, with Gibbs in tow. Karina was on her belly, having a discussion with her reflection in the mirror. She had hold of one of her rings that had bells inside it.

She quickly sensed their presence and looked up and grinned. She looked momentarily confused it was not mommy or daddy, but it was somebody she recognized so she was quickly happy again.

Her babbling increased in volume, which Gibbs took to either mean "where is my mommy and daddy," or "it's about time you showed up so I can finally have my breakfast."

Mimi flipped her over and looked at Gibbs. "Do you want to do the diaper or do you want to go fix her bottle and cereal?" Gibbs looked at Mimi, giving her serious consideration. "I think I'll do diaper duty."

"Way to go Grandpa!" Mimi gave him a quick kiss and headed downstairs.

"Ok, princess. Let's see what gift you have for your grandpa."

Karina raised one eyebrow and grinned.

_**And there my friends, is the beginning of my new story. I did a lot of background in case there are any new readers so they won't be totally lost. A couple of notes: First, I don't remember if we have ever been shown Kelly's room on the show, so if it has been shown and it was stripped bare, my apologies. I thought it showed a more interesting side of Gibbs to have it untouched; Second, the two sentences followed by asterisk's mean that the explanation for these statements comes from one of my other stories, "Promonitions." Off the top of my head, I can't tell you which chapter, but it is the one about the spoiler of Tony's dad showing up around Christmas. I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter takes us to New York and the honeymooners. Cheers. Oh, and of'course; Bailey is my real dog and he does everything described in this story, except the baby thing. He has no experience with babies, but knowing my Bailey, I can well imagine him being that way. He has been very protective of me and is always at my side, awake or asleep. Until of'course, his "Daddy" comes home from work, then I cease to exist, unless I have food or mention bath or treat. sigh**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Mimi flipped her over and looked at Gibbs. "Do you want to do the diaper or do you want to go fix her bottle and cereal?" Gibbs looked at Mimi, giving her serious consideration. "I think I'll do diaper duty."**_

"_**Way to go Grandpa!" Mimi gave him a quick kiss and headed downstairs.**_

"_**Ok, princess. Let's see what gift you have for your grandpa."**_

_**Karina raised one eyebrow and grinned.**_

***Disclaimer, which I always forget- I do not own CBS, NCIS, its characters or its stories. I just wish I did.**

Chapter Two: "Hugs and Kisses"

**New York City**

Ziva opened her eyes, the morning light streaming in through their bedroom window. "Note to self- black out drapes." She murmured to herself. Tony had his arm and leg draped over her. She smiled and looked at her "new" wedding band.

For their wedding at Walter Reed, they had decided on simple gold bands, both knowing without saying that this was not their "wedding," this was just their "marriage."

"Someone needs to turn off the lights." Tony murmured. He hid his head behind Ziva's shoulder. Ziva turned over, remaining under his arm.

"It is morning, my dear husband. I was thinking blackout drapes for the future."

"Big yes on that!" Tony sat up. Suddenly both of their phones dinged. They scrambled and grabbed their phones. "It's a video." Ziva said.

"You go ahead, I'm sure we both got the same thing." Tony said. Ziva smiled and opened up the attachment. Suddenly, the sound of their daughter babbling away could be heard. It was absolutely hilarious. They could only see the crib but not her.

Then they could see Mimi heading toward the crib and saw Karina having a serious conversation with herself. She looked up and smiled, looked momentarily perplexed, then smiled again and started babbling again at light speed. The video turned around to show Mimi's and Gibbs' faces.

"See? She's doing fine. Breakfast will now be served. Have a great day!" She moved the phone back to show Karina still smiling and talking to them, sounding insistent about something. That's where it ended.

Tony was still grinning, but then noticed the tears in Ziva's eyes. He put his arms around her. "Come on, none of that. We agreed we were going to be fine without her, so no tears."

"Let's get up and have some breakfast and go exploring. I haven't been here in years. And there are some places I would like you to see." He stood up and held out his hand.

Ziva looked up at him, tears still in her eyes but a smile on her face. She grabbed his hand and let him pull her out of bed.

They spent the day exploring Manhattan. They made a special trip to the Memorial for the World Trade Towers. "I had a friend who died here that day. Law Firm in one of the towers, I don't remember which one." Tony said. Ziva squeezed his hand, which they were already holding. "You never told me that."

Tony looked into the endless pools of water. "Well, it doesn't come up in normal conversation and I don't remember us actually talking about 9/11 ourselves that it would have been appropriate to interject. I guess I've kind of blocked it out. He was a great guy."

They walked around and read all of the names until they found Tony's friend. "That's him." Tony said unemotionally.

"Do you want a picture?" Ziva asked. Tony looked at her. "No. This is not how I want to remember him." He put his arm around her waist.

"Let's go find something fun to do. Go shopping; buy some outrageously expensive dress or shoes." Ziva narrowed her eyes. "You just want to buy an outrageously expensive suit!"

"True." Tony grinned at her. "But that doesn't mean you don't get treated too."

So Tony went to his favorite tailor and was measured for a handmade suit. He then took Ziva to a couture house, where he insisted she buy something she would never buy on her own.

"Where will I wear something like this?" She argued with him.

"I don't care if you only wear it to bed, you're getting a dress." Ziva knew she lost the fight and after she tried on several dresses, she was privately thrilled.

She had never been fashion-conscious, but she did like to dress up. She ended up getting two dresses, because Tony liked both of them. The house happened to have shoes to match, so they went into the bag as well.

They caught a cab and headed back to the apartment building. The next evening they were going to a benefit concert that would have many famous people there. So they decided to stay in and order out.

They took the time they were waiting for the food to be delivered to look over again the photos and videos that had been sent to their phones by Mimi. They knew Gibbs had no idea how to do that.

The funniest one was the one in which Mimi was feeding her some solid food and she clearly didn't like it. First, her eyes popped open and gave a look that said "are you friggin' kidding me?"

Then she scrunched her eyes shut and shook her head, making a face like whatever was in her mouth was the most disgusting thing that she ever tasted.

She completed her performance by spitting the food out and sticking out her tongue. The camera view turned to Gibbs, who said. "For future reference, no peas."

They laughed so hard over that one that they had laughter tears in their eyes. "That's how you look when you eat something you don't like, Tony." Ziva teased him. "Hey, I'm a man of discriminating taste." He replied in his best "James Bond" impression.

There was a video showing Karina listening to her parent's voices over the loudspeaker on Gibbs' phone while Mimi took the video on hers. At the sound of their voices talking to her, Karina smiled and clapped and started babbling.

Then she stopped, looking at Gibbs, then Mimi, confused. She actually turned her head to see if they were standing somewhere behind her. Gibbs brought the phone closer to her.

Realizing their voices were somehow in front of her coming from grandpa's hand, she grabbed his phone and kissed it. Tony and Ziva both lost it at that one, and they took a breather as their food came. They ate their dinner, and then went back to the pictures.

Other photos showed Karina being supported standing on her feet by Mimi and then by Gibbs, playing on the floor on her pad surrounded by toys with Bailey taking an active interest; taking her naps, and drinking from her bottle. The one of Bailey sleeping with his legs splayed wide open cracked them up.

"Don't even think of saying that's what I look like when I sleep." Tony looked sideways had Ziva. She struggled to keep her laugh in.

The last photo they looked at was a photo of her smiling big at Gibbs, with her hands on his face much like when he had left that one night him and Mimi came to dinner. The smile on Gibbs face was even bigger, if that was possible.

They both sighed together and Tony pulled Ziva into his arms. "Have you ever seen Gibbs that happy? Who would have thought a little baby would reduce him to mush like that?"

Ziva smiled. "Oh, I have no doubt our daughter has won Gibbs' heart and he has been taken over by love, but I think there may be another person who is responsible as well for his new found happiness."

Tony nodded. "I knew the minute they met they were going to get together."

Ziva sat up, a look of _"huh?"_ on her face. "You did not! And neither did I. It was only when Mimi started calling him Jethro and he referred to her as Mimi, _in front of us_, did I begin to suspect that there was an attraction."

She snuggled into him again. "Mimi told me she had a date with Gibbs' when she was upstairs with me on Christmas Eve, you know after you and Gibbs brought me back to bed."

Tony sat up at that. "What! You never told me that!" Ziva shrugged. "I think by the time you came up I was sleeping, and then Christmas morning and then…"

"Ok, I'll overlook it this time, but that was a vital piece of evidence you withheld."

Ziva looked at him, her eyebrow arched. She then started laughing so hard Tony couldn't help but join her. "Well, I think we are all now spoken for."

"Yeah, except maybe for the Duck Man. Ah, but not all are married. We still don't have a date for Tim and Abby; and who knows?" Ziva looked at Tony, surprised. "Do you think Gibbs would consider getting married…again?" She asked.

Tony shrugged. "I can't really say. But what I can say is I doubt Mimi will be happy to just live with him forever. She's a force to be reckoned with."

Ziva considered the idea of Mimi and Gibbs getting married. "Well, no sense in counting our eggs before they hatch. They will make the best decision for them." Tony smiled at Ziva's only slightly messed up saying.

"So," Tony said switching gears. "What do you think of the apartment?"

Ziva smiled wide. "It is absolutely lovely. But as much as I would love to have this all to ourselves, I think we will probably have to continue the way your mother set things up with the lawyers and to rent it out periodically."

"Now that you have updated the kitchen and bathrooms, I think we could probably increase the rent, but I would let the real estate broker make that decision. We can finish redecorating to update, but I think it would be easier to hire someone to do that, although it will probably be expensive."

"Wow, you've really given this some thought." Tony replied, impressed with her assessment. Ziva shrugged. "Most of it was first impressions, but yes, I thought about it for a little bit while you went for a run earlier."

"Which you didn't join me for. Are you feeling ok?" Ziva looked a little uncomfortable. "I forgot my breast pump. Without Karina to…I had to manually pump my breasts and wasted all that good breast milk. My breasts were…quite painful."

Tony looked concerned. "Why didn't you tell me? Can't we go get another breast pump at some store somewhere? Otherwise, you're going to have to deal with this every day."

Ziva looked surprised. "I had not thought of that. I would think we could get one at any pharmacy or drugstore."

Tony grabbed her hand. "Let's go now while we are still coherent. I'd do this alone, but I'd have no clue what to get." Ziva smiled and stood up.

"Thank you, my love. You always take care of me." She kissed him.

"I could take a lot better care of you if you didn't keep so much inside. I want you to always tell me if something is wrong, or you feel sick or have pain like that again, got it?"

"You are so sexy when you go all manly man on me." Ziva kissed him again and slightly bit his lower lip.

"If you want that breast pump, you better stop that or your breasts will explode tonight if you aren't careful."

Ziva laughed. "Well, I do not think we have to be concerned that will happen, but you are right. It was very painful, and I do not want to relive that again, if I do not have to."

"You do not have to. Come on, let's go." Tony grabbed the house keys, and Ziva grabbed her purse. Together they left and went downstairs to catch a cab.

**Tuesday, April 16, 2013**

Gibbs, Mimi and Karina were at the private jet area of the Ronald Reagan National Airport, waiting for Tony and Ziva to return from New York. Their plane was scheduled to land at 2:35pm.

It was a chilly April, so Karina was dressed in a blue sweater dress with yellow and pink dots all over it, matching leggings and a tied on knit bonnet with a pom-pom on top. She was wearing pink Mary-Jane shoes.

Karina was pointing at the planes flying and going "ooooooohhhhh!" She enjoyed seeing her reflection in the large window and was hitting it with her hands, babbling to herself.

Mimi wasn't pleased with this, and brought out some wipes to clean her hands. "Who knows how many snotty noses have been pressed against this window." She said when she saw Gibbs' curious expression.

Gibbs looked at the readout. "Plane is landing as we speak."

They headed to the appropriate gate and stood behind the barrier. "Mommy and Daddy will be here pretty soon, Princess." Gibbs murmured into Karina's ear. He gave her a kiss. She giggled.

Less than ten minutes later, the passengers started disembarking. After only three people had de-planed, Tony and Ziva came out of the tunnel, whipping their heads around to find their little girl.

Gibbs whistled. "Hey! We're standing right in front of you!" It was all Ziva could do to not break into a run. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Gibbs handed Karina to her mother as soon as she reached them.

Tony reached them not soon after and then the little family was in a full embrace. Tony and Ziva couldn't give her enough kisses and Karina just laughed and squealed in delight.

Gibbs placed his arm around Mimi. "You never get tired of seeing it, do you?" Mimi leaned into his embrace. "Nope, and someday there will be other grandchildren and Karina will have to learn to share her grandpa with others. May not be pretty."

Gibbs just smiled. "That's why God made Grandparents; to spoil the grandkids and leave the parents to deal with the messes." Mimi chuckled.

They got the luggage and headed for the cars. "Looks like you came back with more than you took." Gibbs' raised his eyebrows.

"Well, you know Ziva. Shop, shop, shop."

"If I was not holding your daughter, you would still not be standing at this moment." Ziva said sweetly.

Gibbs smiled and shut the trunk. He and Mimi kissed Karina goodbye, hugged Ziva and Tony, and watched the little family drive off.

"I miss her already." Mimi sighed. Gibbs took the exit from the airport and got on the local road that would lead then back to the house. "Yeah, me too. Maybe we can talk them into a weekly date night."

"Jethro, you old softy. Besides, I think Abby and Tim; well Abby anyway, is chomping at the bit to babysit Karina."

"And Lily. I don't think we need to worry about Ducky staking a claim."

Mimi laughed at that. "Too true. Although I am sure he would love to see Karina and any future NCIS baby. Of 'course, he already does have his "own" grandchild" to look forward to." Jimmy and Breena had made it clear that Ducky would be their baby's grandfather.

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home, North Arlington**

Once they arrived home, they changed into more comfortable clothes, and sat out on the deck, sipping hot tea. Mimi had a flannel wrap around her, even though she and Gibbs were joined at the hip. Bailey was checking the perimeter of the yard, in case some evil squirrels were lurking about.

She turned to Jethro. "Do you know if Tony or Ziva ever take Karina to visit with Ducky? I think that would be a very nice idea."

Gibbs shrugged. "I'll ask DiNozzo. If he says 'no' I'll just give him a head slap and tell him to make it happen."

Mimi shook her head. "You and your head slaps. You know, in any other workplace that would not be tolerated."

Gibbs smirked. "They know it means I love them."

Mimi looked at him. "Well, you love me and Lily as well. If I ever see you even try to head slap either of us, I'll…"

Gibbs grinned. "I don't think you need to worry about that, though I am intrigued by what you would do about it."

Mimi put her hands on her hips. "Don't even go there, Leroy Jethro Gibbs!" Gibbs laughed. He loved it when Mimi got on her "I'm in charge" face. He had always been attracted to strong woman, except when his brain had been fixated on red hair.

He hugged her and kissed her. "Trust me; I will never 'go there' as you put it. You are so sexy when you get all bossy with me."

Mimi looked embarrassed. "Am I really that bossy? I don't like being that way. I don't want you to think all I do is nag and then get tired of me and not want to be together anymore and…"

"Is this the "insecure" side you referred to when we decided to give in to our wild ways and become an actual couple?"

He lifted her chin. "I'm not going anywhere. If anyone needs to be insecure or worried, it's me. So get rid of those worry lines and let me take you out to dinner tonight, ok?"

_**I'm so pleased with the number of favorites I have received, but would love to get some reviews as well; I admit it, I need the love. To paraphrase a recent late character: "No reviews? Where's the fun in that?" Our families are all back together, now it's time for the story to continue…**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Mimi looked embarrassed. "Am I really that bossy? I don't like being that way. I don't want you to think all I do is nag and then get tired of me and not want to be together anymore and…"**_

"_**Is this the "insecure" side you referred to when we decided to give in to our wild ways and become an actual couple?"**_

_**He lifted her chin. "I'm not going anywhere. If anyone needs to be insecure or worried, it's me. So get rid of those worry lines and let me take you out to dinner tonight, ok?"**_

Chapter Three: "Meant to Be"

**NCIS, May 15, 2013**

The one-year anniversary of the bombing of at the Navy Yard was noted by a simple ceremony; honoring those who had died and sacrificed, celebrating the resilience and refusal to give in to terrorism. For some employees, it was too overwhelming and many had to go home that day, or didn't come in at all.

Others stayed; more determined than ever that they would never be so compromised or vulnerable again. Gibbs' team all remained at work, as expected. They immediately got a case and spent most of the day out in the field. Life goes on as before.

They all got together that night after work, at Gibbs' and Mimi's, to celebrate being together yet another year. Mimi felt at first an intruder into this most personal remembrance. Bailey made everyone feel at home.

She had not met any of them at that point last year, and this was a private sharing of memories. But they all insisted she belonged and there was no arguing.

So they all spent a long evening and pretty much got shit-faced, but it was worth it. Gibbs made everyone stay there that night, and told Vance that the team needed to take a day after all, the effect of the anniversary having a delayed reaction.

Lily had stayed at Tony and Ziva's to stay with Karina. Lily didn't really want to talk of morbid things, although she knew her possible future would deal entirely with all things morbid; and thrilled at the chance to not only babysit Karina but be responsible for her overnight as well.

If Vance didn't buy Gibbs' fairly thin story, he said nothing other than "understood, hope they are better tomorrow," making it clear they would be expected in the next day.

**NCIS, June 20, 2013**

Tony was working hard to complete his reports. His eyes kept glancing at the empty desk across from his. Karina had gotten a cold, probably from some snot-nosed kid in daycare, as Tony referred to it.

Mimi had been able to take care of the sick baby while they were at work, but then Ziva came down with the same cold, and was currently at home, under serious antibiotics.

She was feeling much better, but her doctor had not returned her to work until the coming Monday. She had come back from maternity leave the beginning of May, so she was not pleased to be out again so soon.

Tim was humming happily as he typed away at his computer. Even Gibbs started staring at him. He finally had enough. "Ok, McGee! Either spill what you're so happy about or shut the hell up!"

Tim looked momentarily scared, but then his face cleared. He looked at his watch. "Well, I am waiting for Abby to come up. So I'll just shut the hell up, Boss."

Gibbs gave one of his crooked smiles and looked at Tony. Tony was smiling as well. He had just figured out why Tim was so happy, but waited patiently for Abby instead of pumping McGee to spill it.

About a half hour later, Abby showed up and joined Tim at his desk. "May I have your attention, please?" Abby had her arms raised, in case her voice was not enough to get their notice.

"Have something to say, Abbs?" Gibbs asked, looking at her with a slight grin. Tony had already gotten up from his desk and moved over to Gibbs'.

Tim had also by this time stood up to join Abby and took her hand. "We have decided on a wedding date." They both announced.

"Well, it's about time, you too! Tony quipped. "You've only been engaged since forever!" Abby glared at him. "That is not true and you know why we have been waiting before we made a decision."

Tony hugged her. "I know Abbs, I am just happy you finally picked a date."

"Which is?" Gibbs asked.

"September 14th!" Tim and Abby said together.

"Of this year?" Tony responded as usual to the head slap. "Thank you, Boss!"

"Abby wanted a Halloween wedding, but…"

"But he didn't want to wait. Which is perfectly understandable." Abby beamed.

Gibbs and Tony glanced at each other, smiling at the thought that the _real_ reason was that McGee didn't want a Halloween Wedding.

Gibbs got up and kissed his girl and shook Tim's hand. Turning to face them both, he congratulated them. "That's not too far away."

"No and we have a gazillion things to do." Tim just smiled. He knew that meant _Abby_ had a gazillion things to do. The only thing he asked was that her wedding dress, whatever style she chose, was not all black.

She reluctantly agreed but started finding dresses she liked that had black accents, so she was happy at the moment. But she was definitely planning on her bridesmaid's dresses being black.

Tony was never so glad to have Gibbs call it a day. They had a dead Marine that had been found in an old house during renovation/demolition. Not only did he have to deal with a freaked out couple who now thought their dream home was cursed or haunted, an area he wished Abby had been there to deal with; the remains were in really bad shape and even made Tony sick to look at.

At this point, Ducky had not made the determination as to whether or not the Marine had been murdered or somehow it was an accidental death or even suicide.

As sad as it was, there was no point in the team working through the night to solve this case. Especially since Tony had two sick ones at home. Gibbs yanked his thumb and told them all to clear out.

He told Tim to do his best to convince Abby to leave her "babies" until the morning and to go have a nice evening of wedding planning. McGee left with a big grin on his face.

Gibbs sighed and looked at the empty office. Just a year ago, he would have stayed and continued working, unless he was in the middle of working on a serious project in his basement. He smiled to himself.

He now had a very good reason to be heading home, and he wasted no time grabbing his things and heading out. He gave Mimi a quick call to let her know he was on his way. Her delighted response brought a big grin to his face. _"Gibbs', you are one lucky SOB."_ he said to himself.

**Tony and Ziva's Home, North Arlington**

Tony entered the house quietly, in case his girls were sleeping. He was pleasantly surprised to see that they were in the family room; Karina in her playpen, swatting her mobile to make the musical sounds. Ziva was on the sofa, reading a book, covered in her blankey.

"Looks like my two favorite ladies are feeling better." He bent down to kiss Ziva, and then reached way down to try to kiss Karina without falling in to the playpen. Her reaching her arms up for him to pick her up solved his dilemma for him. He reached in and pulled her out, cradling her against his chest.

"How's my punkin doin' huh? Feeling better? I don't like it when my girl isn't happy." She snuggled her head into his neck and patted his face. She was feeling much better, but wasn't quite 100%. Ziva had been quite upset when she had refused to breast feed when she was first ill.

"She did breast feed today, so she is definitely feeling better."

Tony sat down on the sofa, putting Ziva's feet in his lap, balancing Karina on her toes. She found this quite funny and giggled.

"And what about you? Are you feeling better?"

"Oh, much better. I really think I could go back to work tomorrow, but the doctor said to stay out until Monday so…" Ziva shrugged.

"So…" Tony began. "You are pretty much returned to normal?"

Ziva knew what he was asking. "I think I may have regained some of my interest in doing things other than lying in bed, doing nothing other than sleeping."

"Hmmm…" Tony responded. "Good to know, good to know."

Ziva chuckled. "Tony, you are so transparent. If you want to make love to me all you have to do is initiate it. Have I ever refused you?"

"Once or twice, but those don't count since we weren't in a relationship, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit to being disappointed."

Ziva was intrigued. "When are you referring to?"

Tony scrunched up his face. "Well, one time that comes to mind was when we were stuck in that box. I mean it's not like we had anything else to do, and it would have helped us keep warm."

Ziva was laughing at him so hard, she started to snort. "In that box? Tony, my refusal had nothing to do with you, it was…the atmosphere. After all, we had sex when we posed as Jean Paul and Sophie."

"True." Tony considered.

"What was the other time?" Ziva was truly interested in hearing what Tony considered a refusal.

"Oh, I don't know. Every time we had a movie night, I guess."

"What? We had sex after many movie nights. The only times we did not to my recollection were when one of us was injured or neither of us were in the mood. You have to start something first; I am not a mind reader, so how can I be accused of refusing to have sex with you?"

"And I know several of those times I was the initiator. Is that what you are referring to? That I did not initiate sex enough to make you happy?"

Tony winced. "It isn't…wasn't an accusation. Probably just wishful thinking on my part, looking back over all those times we spent together. Do you ever feel like we wasted time, that we could have had all this sooner?"

Ziva thought about it for a few minutes. "I do not know the answer to that, Tony. Maybe if we got together earlier, we would have had a baby, but it would not maybe have been Karina."

"I think things happened the way they were supposed to happen. I am very happy with our life the way it is now, I cannot imagine it being different."

Tony placed a free arm around Ziva. "How did I get so lucky, getting such a beautiful, smart and wise woman to look past my idiot façade and see the real me?"

"How did I get so lucky that the woman I fell madly in love with, fell in love with me too? And now we have this amazing child. I am sometimes so surprised by my life."

"It was not luck, Tony. It was always meant to be. Do you remember in the elevator when my father called, and I made a comment about how you were never going to change, then I said 'No we are fine.' Then I said again, '_We_ are fine, yes!'"

"He made a comment regarding my use of the word 'we,' as in were we now a couple. I let him know in no uncertain terms that as far as I was concerned we were, although we had clearly made no such declarations to each other."

Tony looked surprised at her revelation. "I wondered about that at the time, the repeating of the 'we are fine' thing, with the emphasis on 'we', but I kind of had other things on my mind so I never really took it to mean too much."

"But I do have to say, inappropriate or not, if your father had not called just then, I may have made a serious attempt to kiss you."

Ziva smiled. "And I think if he had not called right then, inappropriate or not, I would have let you. We left a lot of things unsaid, but understood in that elevator, Tony. I wonder if we had not been trapped together all those hours would we be together _now_."

"Hey, no second guessing. Like you said, it was meant to be." He looked at Karina. "It looks like someone here is ready for bed." Karina was asleep on her father's shoulder.

Ziva looked at her husband and daughter, and smiled. "Come, let us put your daughter to bed then get you something to eat. I am sure you have not eaten all day." They both stood and took Karina to her crib.

Ziva went back downstairs and heated up some leftover veal picatta for Tony. He joined her in the kitchen. "Aren't you eating?'

Ziva shrugged. "I have already eaten although I will eat a salad to keep you company."

They enjoyed each other's company, sharing their day. "Oh, my god! I almost forgot. Abby and McGee set a date." Tony looked apologetic.

"What! How could you forget to tell me that? When is it?"

"September 14th, no other details." Tony replied, taking another bite of his dinner.

"Hmm," Ziva thought. "That is less than three months away. I hope they already had a lot of things decided before today. It is very difficult to get a good place for a wedding reception in this area."

She looked at Tony. "I don't know what kind of wedding Abby wants, but if they are agreeable, maybe they could have the reception here. We have plenty of room."

Tony laughed. "What about what kind of wedding McGee wants? Oh wait! That's right; he has no say in anything."

Ziva playfully pinched his neck. "I believe you had plenty to say about our wedding, no? In fact, you did all of the planning. All I did was pick out dresses, shoes and flowers. Oh and the cake. That was a great cake." Ziva sighed in fond memory.

"Well, don't forget we still have the top layer in the freezer. Tradition says you eat in on your first anniversary."

Ziva smiled. "I am going to go take a shower. Just put your plate in the dishwasher, it is not full enough to run." With that, she gave him a quick kiss, and then headed upstairs.

Tony watched her go up the stairs. He checked his watch. It seemed a little early for Ziva to be taking a shower. He thought better of it, and quickly finished his dinner, did as he was instructed with the dinnerware and headed upstairs to find his wife.

Friday morning came too soon for Tony. He really wanted to call in and stay in bed with Ziva all day. If last night was any indication, they had a lot to look forward to. Tony smiled to himself, and then turned his head to look at Ziva.

She was still asleep, facing him, amazingly not snoring so she must not have been in a deep sleep. Her features were soft and peaceful and worry-free, just how Tony wanted to see her. He quietly got out of bed, not wanting to disturb her much needed rest.

Although no longer contagious, she still had a lingering cough, so he was glad the doctor held her over to Monday.

He quickly took his shower and got dressed. He went over to Ziva and kissed her cheek. "Leaving now, will call you later sweetie." Ziva stirred and smiled and turned over, opening her eyes.

"Have a good day, I know yesterday sucked for you." Tony smiled and kissed her forehead. "See you tonight." She murmured, already falling back asleep.

Tony did a quick peek in on Karina, but thankfully she was still sleeping as well. Reluctantly, he headed down the stairs, got into his car and drove into DC.

**NCIS**

They caught a break in the case of the dead Marine. Ducky found a fine groove in the spinal processes of C-4, something that would not be caused by disease or surgery. Ducky concluded that the Marine had probably been garroted, almost to the point of decapitation. Murdered.

"Ah, hell." Gibbs grumbled. That meant tonight would be a late night and probably multiple late nights until this case had been solved. The team spent the rest of the day rebuilding the life of Private Eric Sellers- Abby had been able to identify the remains from DNA Ducky got from some bone marrow.

"Went missing five years ago, Boss." Tony started. "Stationed at Quantico. Listed as AWOL. Apparently foul play was not considered. Didn't have an outstanding record, and it looked like he may have been being considered for early release from the Corp due to his poor evaluations."

"Single, born in San Francisco, family moved to Virginia in the 90's. Average grades, nothing outstanding in school, no prior arrests. No credit cards, never bought a car. In fact, Boss, if he hadn't joined the Marines, no one would probably know he existed." Tim added his notes.

"His parents would know." Gibbs replied.

Tim looked down at his notes again. "Both parents deceased, car accident in 2007. No siblings. No other relatives listed in the parent's obituaries."

Tim looked up. "Boss, the house they found Private Sellers in belonged to his parents. It's been vacant since…"

"2007, the same year as Sellers' death." Gibbs headed toward the elevator.

"Boss?" Tony asked, glancing at McGee. Gibbs just hit the button.

_**Thanks for showing me the love and posting reviews. I'm really glad you all are enjoying it so far. Trying my hand at adding a sidebar procedural, which will have ramifications later, but this is still and foremost TIVA. **_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Tim looked down at his notes again. "Both parents deceased, car accident in 2007. No siblings. No other relatives listed in the parent's obituaries." **_

_**Tim looked up. "Boss, the house they found Pvt. Sellers belonged to his parents. It's been vacant since…"**_

"_**2007. Same year as Pvt. Sellers' death." Gibbs headed toward the elevator.  
**_

"_**Boss?" Tony asked, glancing at McGee. Gibbs just hit the button.**_

Chapter Four: "Changes"

Tony watched his boss head downstairs, knowing he was going to ask Ducky something. "Hmm…" Tony thought. "McGee, if the house has been vacant since 2007, how come all of a sudden it was for sale and purchased? Who put it on the market?"

"Interesting question, Tony." McGee typed in the address and pulled up its mortgage history. "The house had been paid off, so no worries about late payments."

"Looks like in 2011 a real estate broker by the name of Benjamin Everett made inquiries into the vacant house, found it abandoned and paid for."

Tim typed some more and then put it all up on the plasma.

"It appears he made an effort to locate the owners and discovered they were deceased. He purchased the house from a holding company and then put the house up for sale as a flipper."

"A flipper?" Tony asked.

"Yes, people who buy houses in bad shape relatively cheap then fix them up and sell them for a very nice profit. The people who buy the houses to fix up and resell are called flippers."

Tim frowned. "The couple who bought the house doesn't fit the flipper profile. I really think they just liked the house and decided to renovate it for themselves."

"So what do we got here?" Tony asked. "A dead Marine, killed and hidden in his parent's house for five years. I could understand suicide, but why murder? Did his parents have some huge inheritance for him?"

"Check it out, McGee." Gibbs had returned from seeing Ducky.

"What did you get from the Duck Man?" Tony asked.

Gibbs looked at Tony. "That it is virtually impossible for someone to commit suicide by garroting himself."

"Not to mention the whole hiding himself inside a wall after he was dead thing…Boss. But you knew that. I'm going to check to see if there were any Marine buddy's he hung with." Tony hurried back to his desk.

As one, they all looked at the clock. It was already 8pm. A year ago, Gibbs would have had them pull an all-nighter. But his team now had family and other obligations. Not to mention his own change in status.

Gibbs sighed. "It's late, go home. Make your calls tomorrow, we've got the rotation. Go on, get out of here."

Tony and Tim looked at each other. "Really Boss, we can stay…"

Gibbs smiled. "I know you can, that's why I'm letting you go home." He hiked his thumb in the direction of the elevator. "Out! Now!"

They didn't need to be told twice. Tony and McGee grabbed their gear and headed for the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator. Gibbs had to chuckle at that. "Well, these old knees are going to have to wait for you, tin can." Gibbs said as he pushed the down button.

Soon, he was in his truck, heading home. As usual, he called Mimi to let her know he was on his way. She had a pot roast cooking all day that had his name on it.

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home, North Arlington**

He pulled into his driveway and sat for a few minutes. This case was really getting to him and he didn't know why. Shaking it off, he came in through the side door. Bailey had waited patiently until his master came in the door, but once he got inside he was all over him.

"Geesh, Bailey, you act like you haven't seen me in days." Mimi came out of the kitchen and gave Gibbs a welcome home hug and kiss. "Well, it has been over twelve hours, which to a dog may as well be days."

"You look really tired." She looked at Bailey. "He's been acting like that all day. Kept running to the window and the door, looking for you. He even tried to get me to go out into the car port to see if you were there."

Gibbs sat on his sofa and Bailey immediately jumped into his lap and laid his head on his arm. Gibbs scratched his ears. "What's wrong, Bailey? I'm ok. I'm home. Quit worrying or you'll start to worry your mom." Bailey looked at Gibbs with those big brown eyes.

"I hate to say this, but he really does look worried. Did something scare him today?" Mimi sat on the sofa next to Gibbs so that she was looking at Bailey's face. "What's the matter with mommy's boy, hmmm?" Bailey licked her cheek, and then started licking Gibbs' hands.

"He's grooming you, taking care of you. He thinks you need special care." Mimi looked at Gibbs. "Is everything ok? I know you're working on a tough case."

Gibbs' gave Bailey a couple more pats. "I have to admit, this case is bothering me more than I want to admit. There's just something I can't put my finger on." He got up. "Sorry, boy, but I'm hungry and don't look at me like that. I know you have already been fed."

Gibbs followed Mimi into the kitchen and washed his hands. She then served him a healthy portion of the pot roast and gave him a beer. They ate in silence for a while, while Bailey watched the floor at his feet, waiting for food to miraculously fly off his plate.

Gibbs looked down at Bailey. "Ain't gonna' happen. Go stand by your mom; you may have more luck there." Bailey grinned as dogs only can, and immediately went to watch Mimi's feet, who was chuckling, as she had been known to have food fall off her fork. Gibbs shook his head. "That is one smart dog."

He looked at Mimi. "We have weekend rotation, so we'll be going in tomorrow. Sorry."

Mimi stroked his cheek. "I know. I'm going over to see how Ziva and Karina are doing."

"And Lily?" Gibbs asked. Mimi smiled. "Expecting her grades any time now and she's counting on all 'A's. She's signed up for summer school so she can catch up with the current class."

Gibbs took a healthy bite of pot roast and chased it down with the beer. "At the rate she's going, she'll graduate before all of them. What's after this program?"

Mimi shrugged. "I don't know; more schooling, I know that. But for what and where…I'm just the mom." Gibbs laughed and kissed her on the forehead. "And a damn good one. You've done a great job with Lily, Mimi. You should be very proud."

"I am proud of her!" Mimi protested.

"No, I meant of you. You don't give yourself enough credit for how much of who Lily is today is because of you."

Mimi's eyes teared up. "Oh, no. Don't start that, you know how clueless I am with crying woman."

Mimi smiled. "Not with happy tears."

Gibbs smiled, and finished off his beer. "Well, this man is ready for a shower, care to join me?"

Mimi blushed, but had a big grin on her face. "I thought you'd never ask." They cleaned up the kitchen and headed upstairs. As expected, Bailey jumped into the tub. "Not this time, kiddo. Out."

Bailey looked properly disappointed and looked at Gibbs, his big brown eyes looking crushed. "Don't give me that look…it's not going to work. At least right at this moment. See you soon." Gibbs closed the door to the bathroom. Bailey gave a big sigh and lied down in front of the door.

**Tony and Ziva's Home, North Arlington**

Tony tried not to look at tired as he was, but he wasn't fooling Ziva. She had kept the chicken casserole she had made warm, and topped it off with homemade rolls.

"Mmmm…if you keep feeding me like this, I'm going to gain back all that weight I gain when we were pregnant." Tony gained weight during Ziva's pregnancy, blaming it on being a father to be.

After Karina's birth, he had worked hard to get rid of those extra pounds. He was not at his lowest weight, like when he first joined NCIS; but he was decided slimmer and more comfortable.

Ziva put her arms around him. "I think we can find enough exercise for you to lose the extra pounds, which I do not see by the way." She kissed him on the lips, just a little teasing kiss and gave him that flirting look she always gave him at work when they were sharing something between just the two of them.

"Well, who's the flirty girl lately? And they said once the baby came, sex was dead."

Ziva looked confused. "Who told you that?"

Tony laughed. "It's just an old saying, which I am extremely happy that you seem to know nothing about." He dug back into his dinner, his energy renewed. Ziva shook her head and smiled. Just then, Karina let out a loud cry.

"Oh, dear. Guess Karina is still not quite herself. Let me go upstairs and she if she will take my breast. Can you also warm up a bottle? Thanks my little hairy butt." She raised her eyebrow at him as she went up the stairs.

Ziva was upset that her milk production had slowed way down, even though Mimi told her it would happen. "That's what happens when the babies start to eat other food. They don't need as much of your milk to fill up their little tummies so your body compensates by decreasing your lactation."

She had to hug Ziva and comfort her tears. "Hey, I know exactly where you are coming from. When I stopped lactating altogether, I thought my world had ended. That is until Lily threw some food at me and brought me back to reality."

Ziva had laughed at that. Ziva loved breastfeeding Karina, and she knew Tony _absolutely_ loved the major increase in her breast size. But he assured her he would love her even when her breasts were sagging down to her knees.

She responded by putting him in a choke hold, which he quickly flipped her out of, as she was not serious anyway. That had led to a particularly passionate night of love-making.

Tony headed upstairs, with the bottle. He found Ziva gently rocking their daughter. She was at Ziva's breast but not really sucking much. She looked up when her daddy came in, and gave him a milky grin. Tony looked at Ziva, who sighed and put out her hand for the bottle.

Once offered the bottle, Karina greedily sucked it down. Ziva stroked her hair. "Maybe it is easier from the bottle nipple. Or she is just weaning herself off. Mimi said babies will do that."

Tony caressed Ziva's shoulder, knowing she was mourning this loss of attachment between her and Karina. "Hey, she still loves her mommy."

"I know." Ziva looked at Tony. "She is growing up so fast."

Tony laughed softly at that. "She's just six months old. That's hardly being all grown up." He caressed his daughter's cheek.

"She is already sitting up, and making attempts to crawl and pull herself up. Soon, she will be standing, walking, and then before you know it, she will be going to college."

"Ok, that's it. Give her to me. Go take a nice, long bubble bath. You are getting way too emotional over this." Tony reached for his daughter, which Ziva didn't fight. She got up and headed for their bathroom. When he heard the water running, Tony looked at his daughter.

Truth is she was growing up too fast for him as well. She had learned to flip herself over last month, which was fun to watch while she was in her playpen or on the floor on a pad.

But changing diapers now became a one-handed Houdini act, and don't even think about laying her down on the sofa or bed without at least one hand on her.

And soon they would be introduced to the wonderful world of baby gates, outlet covers, cabinet locks and whatever else that was out there to baby proof a home.

Adding to the general Marx Brother-ish existence they seem to be living at the moment was the addition of Bridget. After talking about it long and hard, and discussing it with Mimi and Gibbs, they decided to go ahead and get a dog.

Abby insisted they go to her brother Kyle's Pet Rescue Store and adopt a pet in need of a home. Although they weren't necessarily thinking about getting a Sheltie like Bailey, mostly because of the shedding issue; they both instantly fell in love with her.

Bailey was a Blue Merle, which meant in the right light his hair had a blue-ish tint to it. Mostly, he was a mottled collected of black, grays and white.

The only tan on him was on his face, which was covered in grayish black freckles. He was a very interesting looking dog and came from a long line of champions and was pedigreed.

Bridget was a "Lassie" clone. Since she was female, she was much more petite than Bailey, about two-thirds his size or smaller. Kyle didn't have any information on her regarding her pedigree. Her family had to give her up when they moved out of state and could not take her with them.

So the good news was that she had not been abused. In fact, it was clear to see that she was dearly loved. Abby could not imagine the heartbreak of having to leave this beautiful dog.

She was five years old, a few years younger than Bailey, so there was no question of changing her name. So Bridget DiNozzo joined their household. She must have lived in a family with children, because she was instantly by Karina's side, being gentle and protective.

She had also had training and was used to other dogs. So soon she and Bailey were best pals. Sometimes, Gibbs would bring Bailey over just so he and Bridget could play in the back yard. That was his excuse anyway.

Watching them play one day, Tony quipped to his Gibbs_. "Good thing Bridget is spayed, Boss. Otherwise your house would be flowing over with little Bailey's."_

"_My house?" Gibbs raised his eyebrows. "I believe the puppies stay with the mother."_

"_Yes." Tony concurred. "Until there are weaned. Then they go live with the father. It's the law, Boss. Nothing I can do about it."_

_Gibbs just shook his head. "They would make a cute puppy though, wouldn't they?"_

"_Yeah." Tony responded wistfully_

Karina had finally fallen asleep. Tony kissed her forehead, thankful for feeling that it was not feverish as it had been on previous nights. "Goodnight, my little angel. Daddy and Mommy love you very much."

He laid her in down in her crib and left the night light on. This was a recent development, Karina suddenly not liking a completely dark room. A playful nightlight with little flowers was now on, near her crib, but not too bright to keep her awake.

Tony headed into their bedroom. Ziva was just finishing up her bath. She came out with a silky slip of a nightgown on, her hair wild from the humidity in the bathroom.

Just the sight of her made Tony fall in love with her all over again. He always preferred her hair down, although he could understand it could get in the way sometimes when they were in the field, hence the tight pony tail.

But if he had his way, it would always be down, curly and natural. He took a quick shower, wanting to get back to Ziva as quickly as possible before he crashed. As he came out of the shower, he found her sitting up slightly in their bed, uncovered, her hair spread out across her pillow,

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." Tony said with emotion. Ziva held out her hand, and pulled her husband to her. "I love you with all my heart, Anthony DiNozzo. Now and forever."

They kissed deeply and soon Tony forgot how tired he was and the world soon receded, the bad day gone. The only thing that was present and important at that very moment, was that he was at home with the love of his life, their child was sleeping across the hall, and that he was the happiest man in the world.

_**Thanks again for the reviews. Glad this story is going well. Make all the guesses you want: I'm not saying a word. There is a method to my madness and I do a lot of research, especially since I have never given birth. Bailey is sad no one has commented on what a wonderful dog he must be. Since he now has semi-celebrity status, he expects a little bit more adulation thrown his way. I write him in for my own enjoyment and for posterity. Bridget does not exist in real life, although my Sheltie before Bailey was Alex, a tan and white "Lassie Clone."**_


	5. Chapter 5

"_**You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." Tony said with emotion. Ziva held out her hand, and pulled her husband to her. "I love you with all my heart, Anthony DiNozzo. Now and forever."**_

_**They kissed deeply and soon Tony forgot how tired he was and the world soon receded, the bad day gone. The only thing that was present and important at that very moment, was that he was at home with the love of his life, their child was sleeping across the hall, and that he was the happiest man in the world.**_

Chapter Five: "Past and Present"

**Tim and Abby's Apartment- Silver Spring, MD**

Abby was flipping through wedding magazines, getting more frustrated by the minute. "Timmy, I swear. Some of these dresses are just obscene." She showed him a picture of a particular dress that Tim was really stumped to describe. Even turning his head sideways didn't help.

"Well, it is certainly…uh, ugly." Tim look confused.

"_Ugly_ doesn't even begin to describe it! And that's all there is now, these ugly dresses that no one in their right minds would wear."

"I thought you found some dresses you like?" Tim rubbed her shoulders. Abby's eyes closed as she leaned in to Tim's caresses. "Man, Abby! You are stressing way too much about this. Your muscles are like rocks, and I don't mean that in a good way!"

Abby let Tim continue massaging the knots out of her shoulders and neck. She didn't speak until she felt her body start to totally relax under his touch. "You are so good at that, Timmy. Thank you."

She looked at him to answer his question. "I did find some dresses I liked, but I don't remember where I saw them from and now I can't find them! There was this one…nope, not telling you. Bad karma." She zipped her mouth closed.

Tim engulfed her in a big hug. "There is nothing you can't do and I know there is nothing you can't find when you put your mind to it. Did you show it to Ziva or Lily or Mimi?"

Abby's eyes widened. "I showed it to Lily!" She threw her arms around McGee. "You're a genius!" She went looking for her phone.

"Uh, Abby, before you call Lily, can we talk about the wedding for a second?" Abby stopped and turned around and looked at him, her eyes wide. "I thought you said it would be ok to have it at the convent, even though it would not be a true Catholic Wedding?"

Tim smiled. "Yes, no that's fine. I was wondering about the reception. How fancy do you want this to be? Because we're going to have a hell of a time getting a half-way decent place this late in the game."

Abby looked confused. "It's only June."

Tim took her hands. "I talked to Tony. He said he only got their place because there was a cancellation. Most places are booked a year in advance."

Abby looked like she had lost her best friend. "But, what do we do? I want a reception. It doesn't have to be super fancy, just fun."

"Well…" Tim began. "How does having the reception at Tony and Ziva's place sound? They have that huge house, plus a great deck and back yard. As long as the weather cooperates, it should be really nice out."

Abby looked at Tim. "Did you bring this up to them?"

Tim shook his head. "Actually, no. Tony and Ziva both approached me, and wanted to let us know their house was available if we wanted it."

Abby gave Tim a look he wasn't quite sure about, but then pulled him into a hug. "That is so sweet." She said. Tim smiled. "So do you like the idea? That will take a big item off the list."

Abby twirled in the room. "I love it! Let me call Ziva. Wait, I need to call Lily about the dress. Maybe you should call Tony and Ziva and I will call Lily."

Tim kissed her forehead. "That sounds like a very good idea to me."

**Saturday, NCIS**

Tony had located two of the Marines who had been stationed with Private Sellers. The only info they seemed to remember was that he had been devastated by his parent's deaths. When he disappeared, they figured he had just taken off, unable to handle the loss.

McGee had discovered that his parents had indeed left a large amount of money to their only child. He also discovered that almost the entire amount had been converted into a cashier's check three months later and paid to then Private Charles Malone, one of the former Marines that Tony had spoken to.

Once Tony and Gibbs showed up at his residence, he pretty much caved and went in willingly. Apparently, he had made a promise with Sellers to "assist" him in his own suicide. "He was unable to do the deed himself, so he convinced me to help him."

Tony pointed his fingers. "Convinced you, huh? What you mean is that he paid you a large sum of money to kill him. In our world, that makes you a paid assassin."

Malone's face lost all of its color. "No, no, that's not right. It was an assisted suicide, not murder."

"Well, the only problem with that," Gibbs replied. "Is that assisted suicide is not considered legal, anywhere in the US." He let that sink in. "You may have killed him with his permission, but you still killed him. And got paid for it. Then stuffed his body into a wall and sealed it over. To be found accidentally five years later."

Malone was sweating, and frankly ready to faint. "I really thought I was doing something good, helping him out. It's what he asked me to do."

"Guess immediately taking him to the hospital for psychiatric evaluation didn't seem a reasonable option for you at the time, huh?" Gibbs snarled.

"Sounds like you needed psychiatric care as well." Tony chimed in.

Gibbs had enough, and had Malone taken away and charged with second degree murder, accessory to fraud and assisting in helping a Marine evade military service.

Tony and Gibbs headed back to the bullpen. "Thank God that's over with. Can you imagine paying a friend to garrote you because you couldn't get over your parents death? I mean, couldn't he have come up with something less gruesome?" Tony shuddered.

"Like blowing his brains out?" Gibbs asked quietly. Tony stood still, looking at Gibbs. "Well, no that would be just as…messy. I'll just finish up my report then head out, if that is ok?"

Gibbs nodded, but didn't say anything. Tony watched him, concerned. The way he said his last words, the look in his eyes. Tony had a sudden thought and it scared him to death.

"You can quit watching me, DiNozzo. I'm fine." Gibbs didn't look up from his paperwork. Tony got up and walked slowly toward his desk. "Now maybe, but…"

Gibbs sighed. "I'm not going to talk about it, DiNozzo. Let it rest." He looked up at his Senior Agent. "I'm fine, Tony. I'm better than I have been in years. So quit worrying about me and worry about your own sorry ass."

"Whatever you say." Tony went back to his desk and finished his paperwork. McGee had left a while ago. "Ready to go, Boss?"

"You go ahead, I'll be right out." Tony stayed put. "That's ok, I'll wait."

Gibbs became exasperated. "DiNozzo…" He saw the look on Tony's face. It was not one of a recalcitrant co-worker; it was that of a concerned son. Gibbs closed his files. "Ok, let's go."

Tony brightened and walked with Gibbs to the elevator. Soon they were both headed in the same direction, since they lived in the same neighborhood.

Tony actually followed Gibbs home, slowed down to make sure he got into the driveway without incident, then continued on to his own home barely two blocks away.

Gibbs was both pissed and touched.

Mimi met him at the carport. "Was that Tony I saw following you home?" She searched his eyes. "Is everything ok?"

Gibbs put his arm around Mimi's waist and kissed her. "It is now."

"But he actually slowed down like he was making sure you got home in one piece." Gibbs planted a big kiss on Mimi's lips. "Well, I guess that's better than 'shut up and mind your own business.'" There was no rancor in Mimi's voice.

Bailey was all over Gibbs, again sensing agitation. "Ok, let me go sit down on the sofa so you can do your worst to me."

Gibbs flopped down on the sofa and Bailey immediately joined him, first laying his head on his chest and looking at him with his big brown eyes, letting Gibbs scratch his ears and massage his shoulders.

Satisfied with his own attention, he then started his work on Gibbs. First, he kissed Gibbs on the cheek. He would have kissed him on the mouth, but Gibbs turned just in time.

As before, he started "grooming" Gibbs; first his hands and arms, then his ankle when Gibbs crossed his leg and brought an ankle within Bailey's tongue reach.

Mimi had already brought him a beer, but he shook his head. "If you really want to hear about all of this, I'm going to need something a little stronger."

Mimi looked momentarily shocked, but recovered quickly. Going into the kitchen, she pulled down the bottle of their good Bourbon that they kept and poured both of them two fingers.

Silently, she handed Gibbs the glass. He took a small sip. He looked at her, noting how worried she was. "Are you sure you want to hear this? It's not pretty."

Mimi looked at Gibbs seriously. "I've seen tons of not pretty in my career. I think I can handle it." She sat down beside him, turned so she was facing him.

"This last case was really bugging me, I told you that. I couldn't put my finger on it. We closed the case today and Tony and I were talking afterward and it hit me what it was. I let something slip, and now Tony is all worried about me."

Mimi took his hand. "Should he be worried? Should I be worried?"

Gibbs squeezed her hand. "Maybe eleven or twelve years ago."

Mimi looked deeply into his eyes. "Shannon and Kelly. How did this case remind you of them?"

"This Private wanted to commit suicide after the deaths of his parents, his only family. He was left alone in the world without the people who meant the most to him."

"What ended up happening in this case was that he couldn't do it himself and paid another Private his inheritance to 'assist' in his suicide."

"He selected a particularly gruesome way to die." He shook his head.

"We got the guy; he told us the whole story, expecting to be congratulated for honoring his friend's wishes. Asshole." Gibbs took another sip of his bourbon.

Mimi listened closely, not saying a word. Her mind was going a hundred miles an hour, trying to shake the fear that kept creeping in.

"What did Tony say that caused him to act all protective on you?"

Gibbs sighed. "I told you before that there was something about this case that was bothering me, but I couldn't quite figure it out. But once we were back in the bullpen, Tony said something, and I figured it out.

"What did Tony say?" Mimi was persistent, but gentle.

"He couldn't imagine how anyone could pay a friend to assist in your own suicide in such a gruesome way because you couldn't get over your parents' death. I think he was also saying he couldn't imagine anyone wanting to kill themselves because their parents had died."

He looked at Mimi and grinned slightly. "This is DiNozzo we're talking about here. His mother is already dead and while I think he would be sad if his father died, he wouldn't lose any sleep over it. I don't know; maybe now he would. They are a lot closer than they used to be."

"The point that hit me was that it wasn't that the parents had died, it was that his whole family was gone. Tony then said something like couldn't the Private have come up with something less gruesome?"

Gibbs looked straight ahead. "And my response was, 'Like blowing his brains out?' I didn't realize I said it until I saw the look on Tony's face: shock, fear, worry, concern; whatever bad look there could be it was on his face."

Gibbs took another sip. Mimi laid her head on his chest. "Oh, Jethro."

"I lost my girls, Mimi. They were my whole life. I didn't have a relationship with my dad at that time. Hell, he brought a date to their funeral!" He shook his head. "As far as I was concerned, I had nothing to live for."

Mimi stroked his chest. Gibbs continued. "I went to the desert, with my gun. I was ready to do it, to put an end to my agony and join my family, join my girls."

Mimi finally found her voice. "Well, I am eternally grateful that you didn't, but what changed your mind?"

Gibbs looked at Mimi and kissed her forehead. "I knew deep down that it wouldn't make a difference. It wouldn't bring them back."

"It might make my pain go away, but so what? It wouldn't have changed the fact that the bastard that killed my girls was still out there."

"So you changed gears and shifted into vengeance mode."

"Do you blame me?"

Mimi sat up. "Hell no! When I got the news that Noah had been killed I was ready to board a plane and kill the bastards myself. The fact that I had no clue about how to even do that didn't enter my mind. I wanted vengeance, just like you."

"Obviously, I never executed my brilliant plan. Do I dare ask what you did?"

Gibbs took another swallow of his bourbon and Bailey licked his neck, sensing his anxiety. "I looked up the people who would be investigating the case."

"The police?"

"Nope. They were military dependents and specifically, dependents of a Marine."

Mimi smiled. "You went to NCIS!"

"Well, yeah though it was called NIS at the time. I met Mike Franks, the agent in charge. He tried to put me off, but I was persistent. To make a long story short, I ended up retiring from the Marines under medical discharge and joined NIS as a "probie" under Mike Franks."

Gibbs smiled. "He called me "probie" until the day he died."

Mimi stroked his arm. "I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to meet him."

"Oh, you would have liked Frank. And _he_ would have _loved_ you. He always had a thing for the women on my team." He took another small sip.

"So, and I'm not sure I really want to know the answer to this; was justice or vengeance served?"

Gibbs cocked his head, debating what to say and decided the truth with no additional details would be best. He did not want to keep secrets from Mimi, although it would often be necessary as a result of the nature of his work.

Gibbs realized he needed to share this moment with Mimi, so that he could move forward.

He held her hand tighter. "Vengeance and I'm not discussing the subject any further." That was that. Gibbs effectively ended the journey into the past.

Mimi put her arms around him. "Leroy Jethro Gibbs, I love you. I love the man you are now. The past does not matter, unless you decide it does. Are we clear?"

Gibbs smiled. "Yes ma'am!" He kissed her then, so grateful to have such an understanding and undemanding woman in his life. Bailey sat up and barked, sensing all was well now and they could stop this messy stuff and start paying attention to him.

**July 4, 2013**

The gang gathered at Gibbs and Mimi's, since their house had a better backyard view in the direction of the Potomac, where the fireworks would be shot off. The only ones missing were Jimmy, Breena and Ducky. Breena had gone into labor in the early hours of the morning and the team was now on baby watch.

Jimmy insisted they continue with their plans, rather than hang out at the hospital, as much as he appreciated it. Because of his status, Ducky was allowed back with Jimmy and only left when Breena was being examined.

Karina was at first frightened by the loud bangs of the fireworks and started to cry, but Tony got her to look up at the sky at the pretty colors. Soon, she was mesmerized. She copied everyone and "oohed" and "aahed" with them and clapped along.

Tony spontaneously broke into the "Star Spangled Banner", accompanying himself on his guitar. It is a difficult song for the best of singers, so everyone was amazed at how well he was doing with it.

Ziva surprisingly joined in, signing harmony. Soon, everyone was singing, and by the time the last chords of the guitar faded away, there wasn't a dry eye.

"Damn hard song to sing for a National Anthem." Gibbs said. "But it does its job." Just then, Gibbs phone rang. He looked at the readout. "Ducky." He told the others.

"Hey Duck, what's the news? Really? That's great! And everyone is doing ok? Palmer didn't faint?" Gibbs chuckled as he listened to Ducky's exposition on the affairs of the evening, his arm around Mimi.

Everyone else was listening, on the edge of their seats. Tony and Ziva found themselves reaching for each other's hands. Tim had his arms around Abby's waist and Lily was holding Karina, blowing red, white and blue bubbles.

"Ok, Duck. Well, give them our best. Great day to be born, don't you think?" Gibbs smiled, and hung up. He looked at the group for a few seconds and grinned.

_**Sorry to make you wait-have to give you some reason to continue reading. Bailey thanks his fans for their support and has decided to extend his contract and remain a character in this story. Regarding the charges filed against Malone, I am not a lawyer and have no idea if those charges make any sense, but I thought they sounded good, so there.**_


	6. Chapter 6

"_**Hey Duck, what's the news? Really? That's great! And everyone is doing ok? Palmer didn't faint?" Gibbs chuckled as he listened to Ducky's exposition on the affairs of the evening, his arm around Mimi.**_

_**Everyone else was listening, on the edge of their seats. Tony and Ziva found themselves reaching for each other's hands. Tim had his arms around Abby's waist and Lily was holding Karina, blowing red, white and blue bubbles.**_

"_**Ok, Duck. Well, give them our best. Great day to be born, don't you think?" Gibbs smiled, and hung up. He looked at the group for a few seconds and grinned.**_

Chapter Six: "Growing Up Too Fast"

"Well?" They all asked. Gibbs chuckled. "A boy, born at 8:48 pm. Seven pounds, eleven ounces; twenty inches long."

"Ah…." They all said together. "Name yet, Boss?" Tony asked.

Gibbs nodded. "James Edward Donald Palmer. Jamie for short."

Ziva found she had tears in her eyes. "They gave him Ducky's name. That is so sweet." Ziva took her daughter.

"You will now have a new playmate, my little one." Karina just laughed at her mother and kissed her offered lips.

The celebration went longer into the night than originally planned. Ziva left early to put Karina to bed, Lily walking with her.

She told Tony to walk home, if he was able to come home. Gibbs told her not to worry. Bailey would take care of him. She smirked at that.

Abby and McGee left shortly after Ziva. They had discussed wedding plans that night as well and a lot had been decided and finalized.

Mimi was inside cleaning up while Gibbs and Tony stayed outside on the deck. "Something on your mind, DiNozzo?" Tony stared at the stars for a while.

"Not really. Just musing on life. How all of our lives are totally different than they were a year ago. Ziva already has Karina going off to college."

"Babies always seem to grow up too fast. It's hard on both parents. I would imagine it's hard on you too."

Tony took a sip of his iced tea, having cut himself off from the beer about an hour ago. "Yeah." He looked at Gibbs.

"She's becoming so independent. She's not going to need us anymore, she's…"

"Tony…" Gibbs placed his hand on Tony's head, not as a head slap but as a sign of comfort. "No matter how old they get, children will always need their parents."

"Karina will always need you and Ziva, not in the same way she needs you now; but believe me. She will always come home to Daddy."

Tony felt embarrassed as he felt the tears start to roll down his cheeks. "Is it silly of me to want her to stay a baby?"

Gibbs looked at Tony like he was nuts. "Hell yeah! Do you want to change diapers the rest of your life? Now ages four years to second grade? Those are great years."

"They are still full of wonder, not embarrassed to be seen with you and a lot of fun. Now _that_ I would want to hold on to."

Tony laughed at that. "She's so amazing. I can't believe she's mine." Tony's voice was almost a whisper.

"Oh, she is definitely at DiNozzo, _and_ a David. You just wait until her personality really develops."

Tony decided he could make it home. Just to be sure, Gibbs and Bailey walked with him. "Thanks for everything, Boss."

"What did I do?" Gibbs asked, totally confused.

"You listened, and didn't judge. You understood."

"I've been there, remember?" Gibbs looked at Tony, his eyes serious.

Tony turned to Gibbs. "Boss, can I ask you a personal question?"

Gibbs started to squirm, knowing what Tony was going to ask.

"You can ask, but I won't guarantee an answer." Gibbs responded.

Tony nodded, petting Bailey. "Ok, fair enough." He looked up at Gibbs. "Mimi. Just how serious are you guys?"

Gibbs stared at Tony for a few moments before answering. "Well, we _are_ living together."

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Tony quipped.

"And I said I wouldn't guarantee an answer." He put his hand on Tony's arm.

"If there is any change in our status, and this may make you happy or not, but I am not ruling anything out; my family will be the first to know."

Tony smiled. "Ok, understood. Goodnight, Boss. Thanks for walking me home like I was a seven year old."

Gibbs just shook his head and chuckled. "You're welcome. Give my granddaughter a kiss for me, will you?"

Tony nodded and headed toward the front door. "No, not this time Bailey. Maybe you can see Bridget tomorrow." He looked at Gibbs.

"Dogs in love; what are you going to do?" Gibbs watched Tony go into his home and lock the front door. Only then did Gibbs and Bailey turn around and head back to their house.

He found Mimi and Lily, who had returned from walking Ziva and Karina home; still up chatting about school.

As expected, Lily had aced all of the classes she had taken in the spring and was now taking a fairly heavy load for the summer session.

Mimi tried to talk her out of taking so many classes, but once her daughter made up her mind about something, there was no use trying to change her it.

"Did Tony get back ok, then?" Mimi looked up as Gibbs opened the door and Bailey bounded in.

"Yeah, he's home and all tucked in." Lily giggled and danced with Bailey, who was up on his hind legs with his front paws in her hands.

He looked at the booklets spread out in front of them. "What are you looking at?"

"Fall classes." Lily answered.

"Hell, Lily. You just started your summer schedule. Don't you think that you are getting a little too intense about this?"

"I admire your dedication and determination but we want you to enjoy some of your life while you are still young."

Lily just smiled. "I am just looking, I haven't made any decisions."

"When does your summer session end?" Lily scrunched up her face. "August 14th is the last day of exams. A bunch of us are going to go out to celebrate afterward."

"Don't worry." Lily said to her mom when she saw the look on her face. "First of all, most of us live on campus, so unless someone falls flat on their face in the street and bloodies their nose, there is nothing to worry about. Second, I am the designated driver, so I will not be drinking."

"You shouldn't be drinking anyway, even if you are twenty-one. I find out any bar served you I will personally see that they are closed down." Gibbs added his own two cents.

"Sometimes having a Dad for a cop can be a real drag you know?" Lily complained. She hugged Gibbs to soften the comment. "Don't worry, _Daddy_, I will be fine." Gibbs kissed her on the forehead.

"Hey, I totally trust you. It's the other idiots on the road that I am worried about."

"Who are you driving home?" Mimi asked, as this was the first mention of Lily being the designated driver. To her surprise, Lily blushed.

"Lily Elizabeth Allen! Do you have a boyfriend you have not told us about?"

Lily's faced reddened even more. "No, he's not my boyfriend. Yet." She added with a sparkle to her eye.

"There are two others who are sharing a house with him near the Courthouse Metro, so it's not that far out of the way. I can come home afterwards if that would make you feel better."

Mimi looked at Gibbs. "Frankly, yes. I would prefer that you _do_ come back here so we know that you are ok."

"I know I need to let you grow up and become independent, but this is the first time you've done something like this."

Lily rolled her eyes. "You are such a _mom._" She gathered up her materials and headed upstairs to bed.

"Well, what a shocking revelation that was; to be called a mom." Mimi shook her head. "As if I know how to be anything else."

Gibbs gathered her up in a hug. "Oh, I don't know. I can think of a couple other titles that would suit you."

Mimi kissed his offered lips. "Such as?"

"Beautiful woman, best friend, wonderful lover, _my_ love, my _everything_…the list goes on and on but I know how embarrassed you get by too much praise."

"And right now, one that is getting ready to have another hot flash! I can't believe I am going through the change so young. And it sucks, Jethro."

"What makes you think you are going through the change? You're still having your periods aren't you?"

Mimi this time did look embarrassed. "Not always. They are erratic and pretty skimpy. Plus the hot flashes. Classic menopause." Gibbs kissed her deeply.

"Well, let me help out and get you a cold towel to wrap around your neck. That should help, shouldn't it?"

"What would I do without you?" Mimi leaned into him.

"You'd take care of yourself, but you don't have to, because I _am_ with you." Gibbs turned and slightly dampened a towel and then put it in the freezer.

**NCIS- July 21, 2013**

Ziva was sitting at her desk, looking frantic at her computer. She was typing at light speed, her eyes darting back and forth between the several screens she had opened.

"What are you looking at, Ziva? You look…concerned?" McGee was standing in front of her, looking quite concerned himself.

Ziva was startled by his voice. She had not noticed he had come up as she was so intent on what she was reading. She quickly shut down her monitor. "It is nothing. I was just…shopping."

McGee looked at her with that semi-frown of his. "And that…concerns you." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Well, yes. Gibbs' birthday is coming up and I am at a loss as to what to get him."

"Gibbs' birthday present. Ziva, his birthday is in early September. That's over a month away."

"I like to plan ahead." Ziva stood up. "Excuse me, McGee. I need to go…somewhere." At that, Ziva pick up her bag and left the bullpen at light speed.

Ziva went outside to the quadrangle so she could make her call in private. She quickly dialed the number.

"Hi, Ziva!" Mimi answered. "Is everything ok? Do you need me to come and pick up Karina?"

Ziva quickly explained to Mimi why she called. Mimi's eyes got bigger, and then looked sympathetic.

Ziva listened intently to Mimi's questions. "Two. Yes, at least I think so. The first week in June. Yes, I know!"

"I have been on the internet all morning." She listened quietly to Mimi for a few seconds, and then let her shoulders sag.

"Yes, alright. I will stop by after work. I will call you when I leave. Maybe I can get Gibbs to let me out early. Yes, thank you, Mimi." She ended her call.

Mimi put her phone down. She looked at Bailey. "Ziva's coming over later to see you!" Bailey's tail started wagging and he ran to the door. "I said 'later' not 'now'. Go take a nap, you look tired."

Bailey sighed, and went to his look-out position on the sofa, where he could see the comings and goings from the front bay window. Satisfied that no one was there; he laid down his head and was soon snoring.

**NCIS- 3pm**

Ziva sat fidgeting at her desk, looking at Gibbs, then Tony. Tony had sensed she was fighting some inner turmoil, but he knew her well enough that when she was ready, she would come to him if she needed his help.

It was only when things escalated to the point that he thought she was in over her head on something would he intervene.

Tony and Tim went off down to Abby's to get the latest and greatest from their Fab Forensics Femme Fatale, as Tony liked to call her.

After they left, Ziva finally came to a decision and approached Gibbs. "Gibbs, may I speak to you privately?" Gibbs looked concerned.

"Should I be worried?" He asked, studying her face, which he could see was stressed.

"No. Not you, anyway."

She pulled him back behind the stairs. "I need to leave early and see Mimi about…a personal matter." Gibbs understood that to mean some sort of female ailment, which he had no desire to hear about.

"Go, you don't have to make a big deal about this. Next time, just tell me you have a doctor's appointment."

Ziva looked around. "I do not want Tony to know where I am."

Gibbs now _did _look concerned. "You want me to lie to him about where you are?" Gibbs didn't like being caught in the middle of whatever was going on with the couple.

"Lie is such a harsh word. OK, you can tell him I went to see Mimi, but not why. Just say we had something planned and I forgot to tell him. Please?"

Gibbs was looking into her eyes. She looked like a scared little girl, and that scared him more than anything.

She clearly thought something was wrong with her and the first thing that came to his mind was something horrible like cancer. He shuddered.

He kissed her head and put his arm around her. "Ok, I will do what you want. You will tell me if there is something I need to know, right?"

Ziva leaned into his hug. "Yes, Abba. I will tell you."

"Ok, get out of here before Tony gets back."

Ziva ran and grabbed her things and practically flew out of the bullpen.

About ten minutes after Ziva left, Tony and McGee returned from the lab. Tony noticed Ziva wasn't at her desk but didn't think too much about it at the time.

When she hadn't returned twenty minutes later, he started to get worried. "Boss, do you know where Ziva is?"

Gibbs looked up and at Ziva's desk, like he just noticed she wasn't there. "She and Mimi had plans for this afternoon, so she left early."

"She didn't tell me that." Tony got up, his hands in his pants pocket, wandering over to Ziva's desk.

"Yeah, when she left, she said she forgot to tell you and not to be worried. Just some fun girl stuff."

"_Fun girl stuff?"_ Now, _that_ really didn't sound like Ziva, although she and Mimi had formed a strong attachment.

Mimi was actually a year younger than Tony, so she was more like a big sister than a mother figure to Ziva.

Tony looked at Gibbs, as if trying to read his mind. Gibbs looked back at him, his clear blue eyes giving nothing away.

"What? I'm not in charge of your wife's social calendar."

Tony chewed the bottom of his lip absently, like he does when he is thinking hard about something.

He was sure Ziva would tell him if something was really wrong, so he sighed and went back to his desk.

Gibbs let out his own little sigh. For all of their sakes, he hoped this turned out to be nothing, but he was glad his part was done. For now.

**Gibbs and Mimi's Home- North Arlington**

Ziva arrived at their home around 4:30 pm, having to make a stop on the way. Bailey's barking let Mimi know that Ziva had arrived. Mimi went to the front door and opened it, waiting for Ziva.

She hugged her tightly, then pulled her back, looking at her. "Let's not get our panties in a knot until we know what we are dealing with, ok?"

Ziva wasn't sure what "panties in a knot" meant, but she understood from Mimi's tone of voice she was telling her not to worry.

"You know what you need to do." Mimi told her. Ziva nodded and headed toward their hallway.

Mimi rubbed Bailey's head, who was disappointed Ziva had left him so quickly. "Don't worry she'll be back soon." He looked at her seriously, again sensing the tension in the room.

Ten minutes later, Ziva came back. The look on her face told it all. Mimi pulled her into another hug, as Ziva started to cry.

"There, there. Shush! It will be ok. Really it will. I will be there for you and you know Gibbs will be there for you. And Tony…"

Ziva lips quivered, as the tears slid down her cheeks. "Tony is going to kill me."

Mimi hugged her tighter. "I'm sure you mean that figuratively; and no, I don't think he will."

"He will probably have the same reaction you are having right now and then once it has sunk in, you can make some plans."

Ziva nodded her head. "I hope so."

"I know so." Mimi said.

**NCIS- 6pm**

"Well, time to go get the squirt. You and Abby have plans for tonight?"

McGee was staring straight ahead.

"Hello? Earth to McGee!"

Tim jumped. "Oh, hi Tony. Did you say something?"

Tony shook his head. "Yes, I asked if you and Abby had plans for tonight, but clearly you have something on your mind."

At that, Tim gave Tony a quick look, and then just as quickly looked away.

Tony looked closely at McGee. "You know something, don't you?"

Tim looked uncomfortable. "Look, it's nothing. Ziva said she was just looking for a birthday present for Gibbs."

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

Tim took a deep breath. "Ok, earlier. I don't remember where you were; Ziva was typing furiously at her computer. Every time a new screen popped up, she looked; well I told her she looked concerned."

"She was almost frantic, Tony. I walked right up to her desk and she didn't even notice me, she was so engrossed in what she was looking at."

"When she did notice me, she immediately shut down her monitor. I asked her what she was looking at and that I thought she looked concerned"

Tony was surprised by this admission from McGee and a little concerned himself.

"She said it was nothing; that she was just shopping."

"Shopping. And this made her look concerned." Tony was having trouble keeping the concern out of his voice.

"That's exactly what I said to her, why shopping would make you so concerned. She said she was looking for a birthday present for Gibbs."

Tony looked perplexed. "But his birthday is in early September. Why would she be stressing over it now?"

"That's what I said to her. She said something about 'liking to plan ahead' and then excused herself and bolted out of the bullpen."

Tony went over to Ziva's desk. He had never been successful in breaking into her computer, but thought between him and McGee they could get in.

"What are you looking for, Tony?"

"I am looking, McInternetlord, for the sites she recently visited on the web. But I have to get into her computer first. Oh!"

Probably for the first time in her life, Ziva had not shut down and locked her computer. It was still on.

Tony quickly scanned her searching history, becoming more confused by the minute. He finally pulled up her last screen around the time Tim said he had been talking to her.

Tony's eyes bugged out and his mouth became slack. Tim was standing on the other side of Ziva's desk, not wanting to invade her privacy. If Tony wanted to do that, that was his decision.

"Are you ok? Is everything ok?" Tim couldn't help but react to the look on Tony's face.

_**Thanks as usual for the great reviews, favs and follows. Bailey is quite pleased with his feedback as well.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Probably for the first time in her life, Ziva had not shut down and locked her computer. It was still on. Tony quickly scanned her searching history, becoming more confused by the minute. He finally pulled up her last screen around the time Tim said he had been talking to her.**_

_**Tony's eyes bugged out and his mouth became slack. Tim was standing on the other side of Ziva's desk, not wanting to invade her privacy. If Tony wanted to do that, that was his decision.**_

"_**Are you ok? Is everything ok?" Tim couldn't help but react to the look on Tony's face.**_

Chapter Seven: "Decisions Made"

Tony looked up at McGee. Unlike Ziva, he shut everything down. "Don't you say a word to Ziva about me looking in her computer, Tim. Promise me."

Tim looked solemnly at Tony. "Of'course, Tony. You can trust me."

Tony stood up and put his hand on Tim's shoulder. "Sorry, McGee. I didn't mean to imply that."

"I just don't want Ziva to go all ninja on us if she finds out I was in her stuff. You know how she can get."

"Gee, I figured you guys shared everything." Tim said, surprised.

"Oh we do; all of the important stuff. But we give each other space as well.

Tim nodded in understanding. Tony grabbed his stuff. "Ok, I have a baby to pick up and get home so she can eat and tear up the house. Goodnight, McGee. See you Monday, if not sooner."

**Gibbs and Mimi's Home-North Arlington**

Gibbs walked into the house, and found it strangely quiet. He found Mimi sitting on the deck, sipping an iced tea. Bailey was herding his basketball in the back yard.

Gibbs sat down beside Mimi and kissed her. "Hi" He said, looking at her face.

Mimi smiled, and kissed him again, with more fervor. "Well, that's a nice welcome home." Gibbs smiled.

He looked out and watched Bailey run after his ball, stopping it with his paw, nosing it around in circles and then ending up balancing it on his nose.

"Should I be worried?" Gibbs asked quietly, still looking at Bailey.

Mimi leaned against his shoulder. "It's not my place to say anything, Jethro. Ziva needs to talk to Tony first. When they say something to us, well that will be up to them."

"Dammit, Mimi! I know all about doctor/nurse whatever and patient confidentiality. But this is my daughter we are talking about! I need to know: does she have cancer?"

Mimi sat straight up at that. "Cancer? What gave you that idea? No, I can tell you that based on what we talked about and did today, Ziva does not have cancer."

"Do you think I have some sort of secret exam room here to do pap smears and make a diagnosis?"

Gibbs visibly relaxed and then had to laugh at himself. "You know I am medically stupid. Well, that's at least something."

He changed the subject, deciding if there was anything to report, he would hear it eventually. "I thought I'd cook some steaks on the grill, if it's not too late for you."

Mimi smiled. "That sounds wonderful. I'll make my Caesar salad to go with it. I think we have a few more corn of the cobs too."

Gibbs nodded. He stood up and bent over and kissed Mimi. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. I know there are things you can't share, just like I can't."

She kissed him back. "You didn't snap. You were worried about your daughter. Go get yourself a beer and get that grill going."

Gibbs grinned and headed into the kitchen.

**Tony and Ziva's Home – North Arlington**

Tony and Karina came in through the garage door, Karina still in her car seat/carrier. Wonderful smells were coming from the kitchen. Ziva was making Tony's favorite- Spaghetti Carbonara with meatballs.

Now he was really worried. "Hi! We're home." Ziva flew out of the kitchen and immediately unstrapped Karina from her carrier and held her to her chest, singing to her in Hebrew.

"Hi, I'm home, too." Tony said, getting more concerned by the minute.

"Oh, Tony I am so sorry!" Ziva came up to him and gave him a deep kiss, so loving that he forgave her for momentarily forgetting he was there.

"I just missed my baby, I didn't see her all day, no I didn't, my Karina. My baby girl." Ziva was babbling to Karina, much to her delight.

Tony cleared his throat. "Dinner smells great, my favorite. What's the occasion?"

Ziva looked momentarily panicked then cleared her expression. "I thought you would enjoy it, and I had the time to make it."

She looked at Tony. "I am sorry I forgot to tell you I was leaving early. Mimi and I had…plans."

"Yeah, that's what Gibbs said. What did you do?"

Ziva opened her mouth, but at first nothing came out. Getting her voice, she answered his question. "Oh, you know. We talked, we laughed, and…we discussed things."

"And Gibbs let you go home early for that?"

"Tony, Mimi and I never see each other unless it is a big family gathering. Or at least the four, well five or six of us. We just wanted some one-on-one together time."

Tony smiled and hugged both of his girls. "OK, ok. Let me go change out of these clothes and get more comfortable. I'll be back in sec."

Tony headed upstairs. He knew he had to wait for Ziva to initiate the conversation.

Until then, all he could do was to be a loving husband and father, which wasn't a bad thing, he had to admit, and something he thought he was pretty damn good at.

Feeling better, he changed his clothes. He remembered to close the baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairs. Karina had started to become mobile.

Sometimes she crawled, sometimes she scooted herself on her belly, which was pretty funny to watch. Tony called it her "break dancing" moves.

But she could now get to things and places she couldn't before. She was nowhere near getting past them before they could reach her, but they decided to implement the gates in case she surprised them one day.

They enjoyed their dinner, giving Karina small pieces of spaghetti to feed herself.

She hadn't quite mastered the hand to mouth coordination part of it yet, but she gave it a good go.

Her highchair was set between them, so they both could give her pieces of their dinner. Tony laughed. "I think I am going to have to spray her off with the garden hose!"

Karina's face was a smear of spaghetti sauce and a few pieces of the pasta stuck to her cheeks. Tony couldn't resist it and took a picture with his phone and sent it to everybody.

Karina was laughing and banging her bowl, having a great time. She was fed her regular baby food as well.

Ziva also tried a sippy cup with juice, but Karina didn't want anything to do with it.

Instead, she took her bottle and held it herself as she sucked on her mother's dwindling milk supply.

"Maybe we should wash her up in the sink." Ziva suggested. "It is larger than her little bath tub, and I think the regular tub is too big."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Tony replied. He stripped their daughter while Ziva went to get the baby body wash and shampoo. She had gotten sauce in her hair as well.

It took the two of them to keep her in the sink and to get her cleaned up. She was having a ball; splashing bubbles and making loud hand slaps in the water.

They were fortunate in that she had always loved her baths, so the only chore in this was keeping her in place.

Finally clean and wrapped in a baby bath towel, Tony held his daughter and took her upstairs to get her ready for bed. Ziva stayed downstairs and finished cleaning up.

By the time she got upstairs, she found Tony sitting in the rocker with Karina, reading her a bedtime story.

Karina loved the colorful pictures and would touch them, babbling, trying to mimic some of the words.

Ziva leaned against the doorframe, watching the scene. Tony sensed her presence and looked over at her and grinned. She grinned back and walked over to kiss her daughter good night.

"Sleep well, my baby girl. Sweet dreams. Mommy loves you." She kissed Karina's cheek as Karina reached up to hold her mother's face.

Reluctantly, she stepped back and let Tony finish reading the story.

Ziva went into the bathroom, and took her shower. Once she was under the warm spray, the tears flowed, unchecked.

**Tim and Abby's Home- Silver Spring, MD**

Abby had too much work to do, so Tim went on home alone. This wasn't an unusual occurrence, but he missed her when she wasn't around.

He took the opportunity of being alone to work on some writing. He had said to Abby last December that he was going to start work on writing again.

He naturally decided that the recent events would be a great story, but he found he couldn't bring himself to write about it.

Maybe now, since over a year had passed; maybe he could get past the pain and actually put his thoughts and words onto paper.

Taking a single sheet, he inserted it into the roll on his typewriter and set it up to begin typing.

The words came slowly at first. Tim ripped many pages out of the typewriter and immediately shredded them. By the twentieth try, he was ready to give up.

Abby chose at that time to show up. "Hi Tim! What's wrong?" Abby immediately rushed over to him. He sighed.

"Oh, it's just me. I thought I'd take a shot at writing something, anything. Nothing! It's like a blank wall." Tim was frustrated.

Abby hugged him and kissed him. "Hey, you. This is your first attempt after, how long? Give it a chance."

"Your creative juices have been on hold for quite a while. If you don't want to continue your series, write about something else."

"I love you." Tim said to Abby. "What would I do without you?"

"That is something you will never have to worry about. Did you eat? Of'course you didn't."

Abby immediately went into the kitchen to find some dinner for the both of them. "How does spaghetti sound?"

Just then, both of their phones dinged. Together, they both opened up the photo Tony just sent.

"Oh, my…" Abby and McGee couldn't stop laughing; Karina looked so messy and comical.

"Well," Tim said as he wiped away laughter tears, "I don't envy them having to clean her up. She is growing up so fast."

"Yeah..." Abby said, still looking at the picture, running her finger slowly over Karina's face.

"Abby…" Tim looked at his fiancé, having seen that look on her face before. She looked up at him and smiled. "She is so beautiful."

"And we'll have our own beautiful baby too, one day. Unless you really want to start now and maybe be pregnant before the wedding."

Abby's eyes opened wide at that. She sat down on their sofa. Tim got up and joined her.

He took her hand. "Is that what you want? To start trying now?"

Abby bit her lower lip. "I never thought much about having a baby, you know, being single and all."

"But after all we've been through, finally you and I getting our act together; Ziva and Tony, Jimmy and Breena."

She took a breath. "After seeing Ziva and Tony and Karina, I am just so, I don't know how to describe it."

"Jealous definitely. And now that I have Kyle in my life, family has a new meaning for me." Abby fell silent.

"So what are you saying Abby? And let me just say right off that I am willing to do whatever you want." Tim was looking intently at her, to make sure she understood what _he_ was saying.

"If you want a baby and want to start trying now, let's do it."

"If you want a baby, but want to wait until after we've been married for a while, then we'll do that."

"If you don't want to have a baby at all, I…I'll support that too."

Abby kissed Tim hard. "How did I get so lucky?"

Tim smiled. "As far as I'm concerned, _I'm_ the lucky one."

Abby looked into his eyes. "I definitely want to try to have a baby with you. I know there are no guarantees, but I don't want to regret at least not trying."

She took a deep breath. "Sometimes, it can take months of trying before you actually conceive."

"So…do you want to start trying now in case it takes us a while to get pregnant?" Tim stroked her hair.

She looked a little guilty. "I've actually been off the pill for several months. That's why I've had you use a condom."

"I wanted all of the birth control hormones out of my system, although I did know someone years ago who literally got pregnant the first time after going off the pill." Abby shrugged.

"Well, I'm up for it, no pun intended." Tim placed his arms around her. "Just remember, we may be one of those "lucky ones" who it works for the first time. Are you prepared for that?"

Abby scrunched up her face. "Yes! Absolutely!" She threw her arms around McGee. "I love you so much! Thank you for being so patient with me and giving in to my insecurities. And even if it means I have to let out my wedding dress." Abby clapped her hand over her mouth, realizing she just given away some information about her gown.

Tim kissed the love of his life, thrilled and scared at the prospect of becoming a father; but definitely looking forward to the "effort" it would take to make it happen.

He pulled back from their embrace. "Are we saying anything to anybody about this, or just going to announce we're pregnant when…we're pregnant."

"I think we should just keep it between us. If things don't start happening after a while, I'll go to Mimi."

"If we aren't pregnant before the wedding, I am sure everyone will expect us to get to work on it right away anyway."

Abby stood up. "But first, we need to eat dinner because I am starving and I know you are starving, too."

She gave Tim another big smooch, then headed back into the kitchen, literally skipping.

**Gibbs and Mimi's Home- North Arlington**

While they were eating, the photo of Karina came over. Mimi opened the attachment and burst out laughing. "Oh, my…"

She handed her phone over to Gibbs so he could see his spaghetti-covered granddaughter.

Gibbs grinned. "Yep! She's a DiNozzo."

"Jethro!" Mimi scolded him. "Tony does not get his food all over himself when he eats and having met his father, I would imagine he doesn't either."

Gibbs gave that cock-eyed grin of his. "Oh, Tony's been known to spill food on his clothing; usually one of his more expensive ties."

Mimi giggled at that. "Well, they have my good thoughts and prayers cleaning her up. That is definitely going to be a two-person job."

"Well, fortunately, there are two of them." Gibbs replied. They got up and cleaned up their plates.

After years of being by himself, he was amazed at how quickly he and Mimi had developed their own routine in the kitchen, and actually in everything they did as a couple.

They almost worked as one, reading each other's thoughts. It was instinctive, it was natural, and Gibbs loved it.

It was a beautiful evening, and as usual, they ended up back on their deck, sitting in the slider together. They both had glasses of iced tea.

Bailey sat with them for a while, jumping up on one of the non-sliding chairs. He didn't like the movement and immediately jumped off if his doggy brain forgot it moved.

"Jethro?"

"Yeessss…." Gibbs drew it out.

"I was wondering; what do you think about Thanksgiving in Florida?" Mimi held her breath, because she just told him she wanted to introduce him to her family.

Gibbs took a sip of his tea, and then looked at Mimi. "So you want to introduce me to the parents?" He had a slight smile on his face.

"Well, my mother has Alzheimer's so meeting you wouldn't mean anything to her."

"But it would to you." He stroked her hair. She leaned into his side.

"Dad just turned ninety-two and is living with one of my sisters. He should be in a nursing home but won't go." She paused.

"Lily and I always go home for Thanksgiving and we are expected this year. I would like you to come with us, if you would like to and of 'course if you can get away from work."

"So what you are saying is you and Lily are going to Florida for Thanksgiving." Gibbs looked at her.

Mimi hesitated. "Well, it's not like we're abandoning you. This is something we have done for the past twelve years."

Gibbs kissed her. "I'm sorry if I made it sound like that. That's not what I meant at all. But it is good to know your schedule. Any other trips I need to know about?"

Mimi stood up, clearly disappointed and walked into the house. _"Shit!"_ Gibbs thought to himself. This is not going the way he thought it would.

"Mimi?" He called out. He found her in the basement, caressing the boat. Gibbs walked over to her and completely enveloped her in his arms.

"I have no idea what I just did to upset you, but I am sorry. I was just thinking of us planning to do things together and it would be a good idea to put up a calendar or something so we could plan better. Guess it didn't come out like that."

"Of 'course I would love to go to Florida and meet your family, at Thanksgiving or anytime you want to go. I'll just need to clear the time with Leon."

He lifted her chin and kissed her. "My problem is: what do I do if they don't like me?" At that, Mimi chuckled, little tears in her eyes.

"They will love you. Just as I do." She returned his kiss, intending on showing him just how much she did love him. He lifted her and swung her around.

"Jethro!" She shrieked with laughter. "Stop! You'll hurt yourself."

He put her down and grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's enjoy the rest of the evening outside while we can, then I can maybe think of something else we can do to kill time."

_**Thanks as usual for the nice reviews. I am on Chapter Nine, trying to get as far ahead as I can in case it is decided I can go back to work next month. I personally don't think it's realistic but unfortunately it is not my call.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**He lifted her chin and kissed her. "My problem is: what do I do if they don't like me?" At that, Mimi chuckled, little tears in her eyes. **_

"_**They will love you. Just as I do." She returned his kiss, intending on showing him just how much she did love him. He lifted her and swung her around.**_

"_**Jethro!" She shrieked with laughter. "Stop! You'll hurt yourself."**_

_**He put her down and grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's enjoy the rest of the evening outside while we can, they I can maybe think of something else we can do to kill time."**_

Chapter Eight: "Other Plans"

**Tony and Ziva's Home- North Arlington**

Once Karina was asleep, Tony left her room and went to their bedroom. Ziva had finished her shower about ten minutes before and was brushing her hair.

Tony smiled as he watched her slowly run the brush through her curls. "Have I ever told you how sexy you look when you brush your hair?" Tony asked.

Ziva smiled. "Since last night? No." Tony grinned. "I'll just take a quick shower." He shed his clothes and took a brief but thorough shower.

He and Ziva had not been alone all day and he wanted to take advantage of every moment they had. He just hoped she hadn't fallen asleep while he was showering.

He was pleasantly surprised to see she was still awake and seemed to be waiting for him. He half jumped into bed, sliding in next to her. "Hello." He smiled.

Ziva responded by kissing him hard, with far more passion than Tony was expecting. _"Ok, if she wants to have fabulous sex to help her get over her anxiety, that's fine with me." _ Tony thought to himself.

Tony responded the best way he knew how and soon he and Ziva were together as one. Ziva surprised him by wanting an encore, once Tony had recovered.

Tony was always happy to make love to his wife. He was quite pleased with himself and fell asleep with a big smile on his face, lying on his side with his arm draped across Ziva's waist.

She fell asleep instantly after their second round of love-making, finally releasing her stress so that she was able to relax.

Soon, her snores could be heard. Tony's smile became wider, knowing she was getting the deep sleep she needed.

They were both woken by the musicals tones and babbling coming from Karina's room. Tony opened his eyes and looked at the clock. Five am.

"She's better than an alarm clock." He quipped. Ziva was already sitting up on the side of the bed.

He got up and came over to her side. "Want to go say good morning to our daughter?" He held out his hand.

Ziva smiled wide and took Tony's hand. Together, they walked into Karina's room. She was on her back, holding one of her musical toys and shaking it, laughing and "talking" to it.

"Good morning, princess. How's Daddy's girl this morning?" At Tony's voice, Karina flipped herself over and tried to pull herself up, even though she could see them through the slats on her crib.

"Whoops. Hang on their kiddo; I think we need to do a diaper change before we go anywhere."

Tony laid her back down and began to undo her diaper. The smell was horrible. "No more spaghetti for you, little poopy-pants." Tony admonished his daughter.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ziva slapped her hand over her mouth and ran to their bathroom.

Tony closed his eyes as he heard the sounds of her retching. "Sounds like Mommy isn't starting her day very well."

"Let's get you cleaned up and smelling very pretty and then go see Mommy, ok?"

Karina was fixated on Tony's face as he had this conversation with her. She seemed to agree with his assessment as she gurgled and clapped.

Tony got his daughter presentable, took a deep breath, and walked into his bedroom.

Ziva was nowhere to be seen, but the bathroom door was open. Tony, still holding Karina, headed toward the bathroom.

There he found Ziva, sitting cross-legged on the tiled floor, her head in her hands.

Gently, Tony sat down beside her and put his arm around her, holding Karina in the other. Ziva leaned into his side, crying silently.

"Come on. It's not the worst thing that could have happened. In fact, we've had lot worse things happen to us already, so this should be a piece of cake."

Ziva lifted her tear-stained face and looked at Tony. "I am sorry. I did not expect this to happen so early."

Tony stroked her hair. "Well, to be honest, I would have preferred waiting until Karina was closer to two years, but someone has other plans for us."

"When are we due?" Tony asked. Ziva looked at him, amazed at again how calm and accepting he was of the situation. Just like the first time.

"From what Mimi and I could figure out, around the 14th of March. I am eight weeks pregnant."

There, she finally said the word. It was almost like a release. A fresh flow of tears threatened to erupt, so Tony handed her Karina.

"She is still a baby; she should have me all to herself. It is not fair to her."

Tony put his arm around both of them, so that they were in a little circle. "Come on. She won't know the difference."

"However, having a brand new baby and a fifteen month old at the same time is going to be challenging. We may need to get some help."

"You mean like a nanny? You do not think I can take care of two babies?" Ziva was back to her old self.

"Oh, I believe you can, but once you go back to work, that's when the fun begins."

"A baby at home; a toddler in daycare; two highly irregular job schedules."

"I see what you mean. Well, when the time comes, we can discuss it."

Tony didn't say anymore on the subject. "Do you want to stay home today? We can say Karina is sick again, or you are, or I am, or we all are."

Ziva laughed at that. "I think Gibbs would be very angry if we both stayed home." She cuddled Karina who was being a very good girl and playing at breast feeding.

Ziva put her head on Tony's shoulder and he leaned his head against hers.

"I would like to stay home today with Karina, and I would like you to stay home as well, but I do not see how we can manage it without Gibbs killing us."

Ziva suddenly got a mischievous look on her face. Tony helped her up and he took Karina.

"Take her downstairs and make her breakfast, please. I have a call to make."

Tony gave Ziva a "what are you up to?" look, but did as he was asked.

Ziva grabbed her phone and punched in the numbers. "Please be home, please be home, please… Mimi? Hi, yes I am fine. Is Gibbs still home?"

"No! I do not wish to speak to him. Will you do us a favor?" Ziva asked Mimi what she wanted her to do. Mimi agreed. "Thanks, we owe you."

**Gibbs and Mimi's Home- 5:30 a.m.**

Mimi put down her phone. Gibbs looked up from his coffee. "Who was that calling at this hour?"

"Tony and Ziva will not be in today."

Gibbs almost sputtered his coffee over his shirt. "What? Wait. They called in, to you? Since when are you their Boss?"

He started to reach for his phone, but Mimi put her hand on his. Gibbs looked at Mimi, suddenly scared again. "This is about yesterday, isn't it?"

Mimi nodded. "Yes, Jethro it is. You better sit down." Jethro went over to the sofa. "You said Ziver didn't have cancer."

Mimi reached for his hand. "She doesn't, but she does have something growing inside her."

Gibbs looked at her, uncomprehending. Then he looked incredulous. "You have got to be kidding, right? Already? I'm going to slap DiNozzo's head silly."

"Jethro, you just found out you're going to be a grandfather again and you want to head slap Tony?"

"Stop to think about how they feel. This is a total shock for both of them. Cut him some slack. Besides, if there is any blame to be handed out, throw it my way."

Gibbs flopped back against the sofa. By this time, Bailey had come in from outside and jumped up next to Gibbs.

"Thanks Bailey, but I think Tony and Ziva need you more than I do right now."

He looked at Mimi. "What do you mean to blame you?"

Mimi had tears in her eyes. "I'm a nurse. I know these things. They don't. I just wasn't thinking."

Gibbs put his arm around Mimi. "What are you talking about, why are you crying?"

"When Ziva was sick in June, the antibiotic she was taking stopped her birth control pills from working."

"She was not protected, and I should have told her to use other precautions." Mimi looked guilty of murder.

"Hey, it's not like she was seeing you when she got the cold. If anyone should have told her, it should have been the doc who prescribed the antibiotics in the first place." Gibbs massaged her neck.

"So none of this is your fault. I'm sure Ziva doesn't blame you, and I'm sure Tony won't either."

"When he was here on the 4th and we were sitting on the deck; he mentioned wanting Karina to stay a baby."

"What? Is he nuts or something?" Mimi looked horrified.

Gibbs smiled that crooked smile of his. "Basically what I said to him. So instead, he's going to get a second baby that he can have around for a while."

Gibbs shook his head. "I have to admit, I didn't think Tony would handle a baby very well, but he far exceeded my expectations."

"Make sure you tell him that. He's probably going to need all the bolstering he can get after today."

"You think she just told him today?"

Mimi smiled. "I'm sure he knew the minute she ran to the toilet to puke."

Gibbs had to chuckle at that. "So, when?"

"When what?"

Gibbs kissed Mimi's cheek. "When is the baby due?"

"The best date we came up with was around March 14th, but we'll know better when we get her into the office for an ultrasound."

"Ah, hell, I just got her back in the field. Well, nothing I can do about it, I guess." He kissed Mimi again.

He picked up his phone. "What are you doing, Jethro?" Mimi asked.

Gibbs held up his finger. "DiNozzo…"

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

Tony's phone rang and he saw the readout. "It's Gibbs, what do I do?"

"Answer the phone, Tony. He will be angry if you ignore his call."

Tony nodded. "Hi, Boss." He answered. Tony's face looked concerned then confused as he listened to Gibbs on the other line.

"Clear as crystal, Boss. We'll be there." He hung up the phone and looked at Ziva.

"We've been ordered to have dinner with them tonight." Tony answered Ziva's unasked question.

Karina banged her spoon, reminding him she had not had the rest of her breakfast yet.

"Sorry, sweetie. Daddy got distracted. Here you go; yummy cereal and peaches."

Karina opened her mouth obediently and took the offered food. Tony let her hold onto the spoon for a while to entertain herself.

"Mimi must have told him. He was very worried yesterday when I went to him and asked to leave early to meet with her." Ziva decided.

"You actually got him to go with the 'doing fun stuff' without a fight?"

Ziva smiled. "Oh, he didn't like it. He told me that he didn't want to lie to you. I just batted my big brown eyes and sniffled like a little girl. Works every time."

"Huh." Tony said. "Wonder if I should try that sometime."

Ziva laughed at her husband, and then stopped. "He was really worried that I wanted to see Mimi. I think he may have been thinking I was really sick or something."

"Or something." Tony went over to Ziva and bent over and kissed her tummy. "Hi sweetie, I know you probably can't hear me yet."

"You were a big surprise but we are all going to be just fine and be a big happy family."

Karina watched her daddy kiss her mommy's tummy. "Mama." She said. They both looked at her.

Ziva kissed her baby until she giggled. "I know she does not equate 'mama' with me yet but I will never get tired of hearing it."

Tony watched Ziva with Karina and smiled. She was such a wonderful mother. What could they possibly worry about?

He looked up to the see the smile on Ziva's face. "You always take things so much better than I think you will."

Tony cupped her face. "Only when they're not bad things and this is _not_ bad. Now, when you get hurt or go missing, totally different reaction."

"Speaking of which, how exactly did this happen? I mean you were on the pill and still kind of breastfeeding. I thought that had us covered." Tony wasn't angry, just curious.

Ziva sighed. "Mimi is blaming herself."

Tony looked alarmed at that. "How could Mimi be responsible for us getting pregnant again?"

"Antibiotics." Ziva said simply.

Tony looked blankly at her. "When I was sick in June, I was on antibiotics. Some can affect the effectiveness of birth control."

"As a nurse, Mimi knows this. But since we weren't in a patient relationship, it didn't even cross her mind to tell me of the risk and to advise us to use additional precautions."

"She is really upset with herself over this, Tony. We need to make sure she knows we don't blame her."

Tony looked surprised. "She really blames herself?"

Ziva nodded. Tony put his arms around her waist. "Ok, we'll just give her Karina all night. That will make her happy."

Ziva looked thoughtful. "Do we want to tell everyone else?"

Tony sat back down and continued feeding his daughter. "I don't know about right now. Would be kind of fun to keep it secret and let them figure it out."

"Abby knew before I did last time, or at least you suspected. Now Gibbs knows. Maybe I better call him and ask him to not say anything to anyone just yet."

He looked at Ziva's dubious face. "He would not do that."

"Well, he's going to have to come up with some reason why both of us aren't in." Ziva considered that. She pulled out her phone and called Gibbs.

"Hi, Ziver." Gibbs' voice was gently, touching.

"Good morning, Abba. I am guessing Mimi told you, yes? Please say nothing to the others."

"We want to keep this as quiet as long as we can. What? Oh…well, that sounds fine. Thank you, Abba. I love you, too."

Tony watched Ziva's face the entire time she was on the phone with Gibbs. When she ended the call, he took her hand. "Well, that was very touching. What did he say?"

"That we had asked to take the day off several weeks ago, just wanting a family day during the week."

Tony was impressed. "Not bad. I guess that's why he makes the big bucks."

"So, what do you want to do? Just stay home and play happy family or do you want to go out?" Tony asked

"Well, it is a nice day. We can take Karina to the park. Maybe go to visit Old Town and walk around."

"That sounds like a great idea." Tony stood up and cleaned up Karina's breakfast mess. "It's still early yet. Do you want to go back and try to get another hour's sleep? I can handle this one."

Ziva put her arm around his waist. "Why don't we all cuddle in bed for a while, the three of us? Karina loves being in our bed with us."

"Sounds wonderful to me." Tony looked at Karina. "What about you? Want to go snuggle with mommy and daddy for a while?"

Karina grinned and clapped.

_**This chapter was a little shorter than some of the others because I have finally started Physical Therapy and had a really tough session yesterday that left me in more pain than when I started. Thanks for the continuing support, and thanks to those who are reading my first stories to catch up.**_


	9. Chapter 9

"_**That sounds like a great idea." Tony stood up and cleaned up Karina's breakfast mess. "It's still early yet. Do you want to go back and try to get another hour's sleep? I can handle this one."**_

_**Ziva put her arm around his waist. "Why don't we all cuddle in bed for a while, the three of us? Karina loves being in our bed with us."**_

"_**Sounds wonderful to me." Tony looked at Karina. "What about you? Want to go snuggle with mommy and daddy for a while?" **_

_**Karina grinned and clapped. **_

Chapter Nine: "A Parent's Worst Nightmare"

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home- North Arlington**

Tony and Ziva walked over to Gibbs' around 6 p.m. Ziva was pushing Karina in her stroller and Tony had Bridget on the leash.

They walked right in and went out on to the deck, where they found Gibbs and Bailey. Bridget immediate ran out into the yard to play.

Gibbs had added a new feature to the yard: he built a huge play area for the grandkids: a sand box, swings and a slide.

Other things like monkey bars and a fort could be added as they got older and then everything could be adjusted as they grew and became more independent.

Gibbs put down his grill brush and took Ziva in his arms. "Congratulations, Ziver." He kissed her on the cheek. He looked at Tony. "You too, Tony. Should I congratulate Karina?"

She already had her arms out, waiting for her grandpa to pick her up. Gibbs quickly complied, covering her face in kisses until she giggled and squealed.

"Where's Mimi?" Ziva asked. Gibbs sighed. "She's still upstairs, getting ready she says, but I think she is afraid you are mad at her."

"That's just plain silly, Boss." Tony said. Gibbs shrugged, as if to say _"women, what can you do with them?"_

Tony and Ziva looked at each other. Taking each other's hands, the turned around and headed for the stairs.

Gibbs grinned and sat on the slider with Karina, saying "wee" every time the glider moved back and forth, delighting in her laughs and squeals.

Tony and Ziva slowly approached the bedroom, feeling like they were invading Mimi's and Gibbs' personal space.

Mimi was sitting on the bed, the room immaculate. She looked up when she sensed their presence.

She started to cry. "I am so sorry. This is all my fault, I should have said something. I…"

Ziva rushed to her side. Tony was close behind her and sat on the other side of Mimi.

Ziva put her arm around Mimi. "Do not be silly. Of'course we do not blame you."

"If I had been your patient at the time, maybe I would be unhappy you did not mention the possible complication; but I was not."

"My doctor should have said something. But even having said that; we do not blame anyone."

"This was meant to be. Whether it is sooner than we planned does not matter."

Tony put his arm around her as well. "Once we got over the shock, we are really happy about this, so no blaming allowed. If anyone needs to be blamed, it's me for being such a stud."

At that, both Mimi and Ziva slapped the back of his head.

"See? All is back to normal. Let's get back downstairs before Bailey…oops, spoke too soon."

Bailey realized his mommy was missing, so he and Bridget went looking for her.

He went right to the bedroom immediately, having first checked the bathroom, one of his favorite rooms.

The dogs jumped on the bed and started licking Mimi, until she fell back laughing.

"Bridget! Off the bed. This is not your house." Tony spoke with authority but not anger. Bridget immediately obeyed and went and sat by Tony's feet. "Good Girl!" Tony rubbed her head.

Karina's laugh caused them all to look up. "Is this where we are having dinner? I'm going to have a hell of a time getting the grill up here." Gibbs quipped.

Tony and Ziva immediately stood up. Tony took Karina from Gibbs and they headed downstairs. Gibbs walked over to Mimi.

"I think I'm going to need a hand up." She held out her hand, still lying on the bed, Bailey licking her other arm.

Gibbs grinned and took her hand and pulled her to a standing position.

"Everything ok, now?" Gibbs kissed her lightly. Mimi nodded, her eyes still bright from the previous tears. He put his arm around her.

"Come on, let's go downstairs. Bailey, let's go."

Dinner was fun and now that Ziva had finally gotten over the idea that she was ruining Karina's baby years with her, the talk of the new baby was full of excitement.

"So, what do you want this time, a boy?" Mimi asked.

Tony looked at Ziva. "Well, we didn't really have a preference the first time around, but I'd be less than honest if I didn't say a son would complete the picture."

Ziva smiled. "From what I have read, the sex of the baby is determined by the father."

Tony mulled that one over. "Well, since we didn't know we were making a baby at the time, I guess I missed my chance to talk to my little men to perform their assigned task. What?"

Everyone at the table was laughing. Both Mimi and Ziva were snorting.

Gibbs looked at Tony, his expression a mixture of humor, disgust and disbelief. "Your little men? Too much information, DiNozzo."

Tony looked confused them alarmed. "Hey, I was not talking about…you know. I meant…ah, crap. Karina, get Daddy out of this will you please?"

Karina was laughing and clapping. "No-no" She gurgled.

"See? I am surrounded by women who make fun of me!"

"Dada dada dada!" Karina yelled happily. They all looked at her.

"Still feel bad, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked smiling. Ziva leaned in and kissed him. "But we love you!"

**August 14th- Foggy Bottom**

The bar was noisy and boisterous. End of semester celebration was in full swing. Lily had procured a table for her group of friends, which kept growing as Lily had a lot of friends.

The party was controlled, but there were still copious amounts of alcohol consumed.

With her Virginia friends, Lily got her roommate and the others back to their dorm rooms. Lily then helped her other friends into her car.

Sean tried to kiss her, but she pushed him away. "Maybe when you are sober." She laughed.

This was the guy she really liked, but she did not want to start anything based on alcohol.

She put him in the backseat behind her, and then the other two in the other vacant seats and strapped them all in.

She started her car engine and buckled in. Before she pulled out, she called her mom.

**Gibbs and Mimi's Home- North Arlington 12:30 a.m.**

Mimi turned off her phone and looked at Gibbs. "That was Lily. She is just heading out to take the Virginians home, and then she will call when she is headed back here."

"The 'Virginians'? You make them sound like some terrorist cell." He smiled softly. "How did she sound?" Gibbs asked.

"Sober, alert, and in control. There was some singing in the car, so I can't say the same for her…friends."

**Tim and Abby's Apartment- Silver Spring, MD**

Tim woke up and looked at the clock. Twelve-thirty. He then realized Abby was not in bed with him.

Concerned, he went looking for her. He found her sitting on the bathroom floor, tear stains on her cheeks.

Tim immediately knelt down beside her. "Abby, sweetie, what's wrong? What's happened?"

Abby looked down, then looked at Tim with such sorrow in her face it broke his heart. "I got my period."

Tim slid down beside her and took her in his arms, so she could lay her head on his chest. "Well, we'll just try again. We knew it might not work the first time."

"I know. I was just…so sure we would be…" She buried her head even deeper. Tim comforted his wife the best way he knew how: by letting her talk, and him listening.

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home- North Arlington**

Gibbs and Mimi were sitting in the living room, well, Gibbs was. Mimi was pacing. "It's almost 2 a.m.! Where is she? Why isn't she answering her phone?" Mimi was in tears.

Gibbs got up and comforted his wife. "She can't answer her phone while she's driving. I'm sure she stayed to make sure her friends were ok."

"But she was supposed to call when she was heading back here…" Just then Mimi's phone rang.

"Thank God, I am going to kill her." She looked at the readout and paled. Gibbs immediately took hold of her. "Mimi, what is it?"

Looking at Gibbs, she brought the phone to her ear. "Hello? Yes, this is Mimi Allen. Yes, Lily Allen is my daughter…" She dropped the phone.

Gibbs immediately picked it up. "Hello? This is Lily's dad, who is this?"

"I'm sorry sir; we don't have a father listed as next of kin." The voice on the other line stated. Gibbs also lost the color in his face.

"Her mother is not able to talk to you right now and I am her step-dad and the closest thing you got."

"She is also a Navy dependent and I work for Naval Criminal Investigative Services, so I suggest you start talking."

There was some muffled talking. Another voice came on the line. "NCIS? Who is this?"

Gibbs looked confused. "Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Who is this?"

"Dr. Brad Pitt. I took care of Tony DiNozzo several years ago when he had the plague. I moonlight at other facilities."

"Just where are you? What's happened?"

"GW. Lily and three other students were involved in a car accident, broadsided by a drunk driver. The driver of the other car was killed."

Gibbs was still holding onto Mimi. "And Lily?"

"Extremely lucky. From what we can tell so far, she has a broken ankle, but obviously we are going to thoroughly examine her, especially for internal injuries."

"She's awake and has given consent. She's mad the ambulance people wouldn't let her call you or make the call themselves, making her mom worry about where she was."

"Thank you, Dr. Pitt. Take care of our girl. We'll be right there." He hung up. He led Mimi over to the sofa.

"She's fine. She may have a broken ankle, and they're going to thoroughly check her out. She's Ok, Mimi."

Mimi cried into Gibbs' shoulder. "The way they said who they were and needed to speak to the family of Lily Allen, I was sure she was dead."

"Shush, I know. It's a parent's worst nightmare. Let's get over there and we can see her for ourselves. That was Dr. Pitt I spoke to. So you know she's in good hands."

She looked up at that. "What's a Pulmonologist doing in an ED?"

"Making extra money. Hey, he saved DiNozzo's life. I trust him with Lily's. Now dry those tears and let's head on over to GW."

"Should we call anyone?" Mimi asked. Gibbs hesitated. "I hate to call anyone until we know the whole story, but we may be there until late in the morning. Bailey will need looking after."

He flipped open his phone.

**Tony and Ziva's home- North Arlington**

The ringing of his phone woke him up immediately, being attuned to sounds now that he was a father.

He looked first at the time, then at the readout. Ziva moved beside him. "Who is calling at this hour?"

"It's Gibbs." He answered. Ziva sat up straighter at that.

"Boss? Everything ok?" He bolted up in bed. "Oh, my God, is she ok? Yeah, sure, no problem. I'll wait downstairs for you." He hung up and started getting out of bed.

"Tony, what is it?" Ziva was terrified to see how quickly Tony was getting his pants on.

"That was Gibbs. Lily's been in a car accident. He and Mimi are on their way over to GW. They want us to keep Bailey in case they are gone for over several hours."

"Oh no. Is it bad?" Ziva had tears in her eyes.

Tony continued getting dressed. "He didn't say. Man of a few words, remember? I better get downstairs." Ziva grabbed her robe.

"I am coming with you."

They both waited on their outside porch until they saw Gibbs' car pull into their driveway. Ziva ran to Mimi's side of the car, who had rolled down the window.

"I am sure she will be fine." Ziva said softly. Mimi smiled through her tears. "I thought she was dead." A fresh flow of tears erupted. She composed herself. "All we know is a broken ankle at this point."

Ziva placed her hand on Mimi's cheek and looked into her eyes and tried to look as reassuring as possible.

While they were talking, Gibbs had taken Bailey to Tony. "What happened, Boss?" Gibbs looked at Mimi.

"Broadsided by a drunk driver, who was killed at the scene. Her doc is someone you know, Dr. Brad Pitt."

"No way! Well, she's in good hands, Boss."

Gibbs nodded. "Gotta' go, thanks for taking Bailey. Sorry to wake you up so early."

"That's what families are for. Should I call the others?"

Gibbs shook his head. "We'll call when we have more news. They've just started working on her."

Tony put his arm on Gibbs' shoulder and squeezed it. Gibbs nodded and ran back to the car. He looked briefly at Ziva, who nodded at him and gave him a small smile.

Tony and Ziva and Bailey watched them back out of the driveway and pull away. Sighing, they went inside. Once inside, Ziva started to cry.

"Hey, come one. It sounds like she's going to be ok."

"I am crying for Mimi. For a second, she thought her daughter was dead. Some day we may be waiting at home for Karina and could get a call…"

"Hey, let's not borrow trouble. The only control we have over the future is how we conduct ourselves today."

He led her upstairs. Bridget had already been alerted to Bailey's presence and they had to work hard to keep her from barking in excitement and waking up Karina.

As a treat, they let both dogs sleep with them. Soon, they were side by side at the bottom of the bed, snoring.

"Great." Tony quipped. "Three snorers." Ziva chuckled. "Actually four. You snore as well, Tony. You just refuse to believe it."

Tony got under the covers. "Get under here; I feel the need to have you in my arms."

"I feel the need for comfort as well, my love." They held each other for over an hour before they finally fell back to sleep.

**George Washington University Medical Center- DC**

Gibbs dropped Mimi off at the ED entrance, then went and parked the car on 23rd. Since it was so early in the morning, street parking was not a problem and Gibbs joined her less than five minutes later.

He found her standing at the information desk. He walked up to her and put his hand at her waist. "What did you find out?"

"That I can sit down and wait!" Mimi snapped.

Gibbs looked at the attendant sitting at the information desk. "Our daughter was just brought in, car accident. I have already spoken to Dr. Brad Pitt."

"He asked to be notified when we arrived. I suggest someone notify him." The attendant hesitated. "Now!" Gibbs whispered in the attendant's ear.

With that, he picked up the phone. "Hi, can you please tell Dr. Pitt that the family for…" he looked down at his sheet."

"Lily Allen." Gibbs and Mimi both said with exasperation.

"Uh, Lily Allen. Yes, thank you." He hit the buzzer and the double doors to the back of the ED opened up.

Gibbs took Mimi's hand and led her through. "Thank you." He said to the attendant.

The ED department was abuzz with movement and noises. There were orders being shouted about, phones ringing. Organized chaos.

Mimi looked up in relief when she saw Dr. Pitt. "Brad." She rushed toward him. He gave her a big hug. "It's been ages, Mimi. Wish it was under different circumstances."

He turned to Gibbs and shook his hand. "We only met briefly, but I will never forget you lightly tapping Tony's head to get him to hear you and telling him that he did _not _have permission to die." Mimi looked at Gibbs, surprised.

"Ok, Lily is in MRI right now, we are checking everything out. We believe all occupants lost consciousness, even Lily at least briefly. Hell, the air bags sometime do more damage than the accident."

"I don't think Lily received any head injury of concern, considering her level of consciousness and lucidness, but there are conditions that do not manifest up to 48 hours after the initial injury."

"Her ankle is broken, but it is not a severe break and will not require surgery and hardware." Mimi and Gibbs both breathed out a sigh of relief at that.

"What about the other passengers in her car…are they ok?"

Dr. Pitt looked grim. "The two that were seated on the passenger side got the brunt of the impact. Both are seriously injured, but I don't see their injuries as life threatening."

"The boy behind Lily did suffer a concussion and a broken arm, possibly some ribs. They are all still being poked and prodded."

Mimi looked at Gibbs. "Brad, I need to know. Had Lily been drinking?"

Dr. Pitt smiled at Mimi. "No. Unlike her passengers, who were plastered, she didn't have an ounce of alcohol in her."

"Frankly, the fact that the others were drunk probably prevented them from far more serious, possibly fatal, injuries."

"Bodies more relaxed." Gibbs murmured.

"Exactly." Dr. Pitt turned to him. He turned back to Mimi. "Look, when you see Lily, she's going to look at lot worse than she is."

Mimi looked at Gibbs, the back at Brad. "What does _that_ mean?"

"Airbag injuries. Can bang the hell out of you." Gibbs answered. "Let me guess; black eyes, bloody nose, cut and swollen lip, maybe a bruise on her forehead?"

Dr. Pitt looked surprised. "You've seen this before obviously. Yes to all except the bloody nose. She should have a broken nose, but she doesn't."

"Are the other parents here?" Gibbs asked. Dr. Pitt shook his head. "Only one of the other students was local, Sean Fuller."

"The other two are from California and Wisconsin."

"The parents of Sean Fuller should be here shortly or may have already arrived. The other families have been notified and are presumably on the way."

Gibbs turned to Mimi. "You wait here for Lily. I'll go see if Sean's parents are here yet." He went back out in the lobby.

He located a man and a woman sitting close together, holding hands and took a wild guess.

He walked up to them. "Mr. & Mrs. Fuller?" They looked up and stood expectantly, then looked confused when they saw that he wasn't a doctor.

Gibbs held out his hand. "Leroy Jethro Gibbs, my daughter was the driver of the car."

Mr. Fuller's face got red. "Your daughter? This is all her fault. Driving drunk, almost killing our son…"

Gibbs' grabbed Mr. Fuller's arm and dragged him into a corner. "Hey!" He cried out.

Gibbs put his face right into Fullers. "You listen to me, you son of a bitch! Lily was not drunk."

"She didn't have a single drink. However, her three passengers, including your son, were three sheets to the wind."

"Lily was the designated driver. They were broadsided by a drunk driver, who was killed on impact." Gibbs pulled back just slightly.

"Now, is there something you want to say?"

Mr. Fuller looked back at his wife, who was standing there wide eyed with her mouth open.

Gibbs took a couple steps back to get out of his personal space.

Mr. Fuller straightened his collar. "I'm sorry, I just assumed. Look, I'm worried about Sean and no one has told us anything."

"Let me see what I can do about that." Gibbs headed back to the double doors. One look at the attendant made the doors open.

He looked for Mimi and found her waiting by a room with the curtain drawn.

"They just brought Lily back from MRI and are cleaning her up to make her a little bit more presentable before they let us see her."

Gibbs nodded. "Is Dr. Pitt around?" Mimi pointed to the desk. Gibbs walked over to him.

"Hey, you've got Sean Fuller's parents out there who have not heard a single word about their son."

"I pulled rank to get in here. What do they have to do?" Dr. Pitt looked a little surprised, then smiled.

He picked up the phone. "Thomas? Can you call Mr. & Mrs. Fuller to the back? Thanks." Gibbs smiled and returned to Mimi.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Fullers enter through the automatic doors to be met by Dr. Pitt.

He took them into an exam room that Gibbs assumed was occupied by their son.

Before they went in, Mr. Fuller looked around, caught Gibbs' eye and nodded and smiled his thanks.

Gibbs nodded back. The curtain behind them opened slightly.

"You can go in now." The nurse said. Mimi took Gibbs' hand and they went into the little cubicle.

"Oh, Lily! You're a mess!" Mimi was stroking her daughter's hair.

"Gee, thanks Mom. Sure know how to make a girl feel pretty."

Lily, as described, did indeed have two black eyes, a cut and swollen lip and a small bruise on her forehead.

Her ankle had already had been placed in a cast, purple per her request. "How's Sean?" She looked scared.

"Is that the young man you like?" Mimi asked. She looked at Gibbs.

"Where was he sitting?" Gibbs asked quietly.

"Behind me." Lily's chin was trembling, fighting back tears.

Gibbs breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, all of your friends were injured. I don't have details, but I don't think he was hurt any more badly than you were."

Just then, Dr. Pitt showed up. "We have the MRI results." He was holding a folder.

Gibbs, Mimi and Lily stared at him, waiting for the verdict.

_**Thanks as always for the great reviews. Since the last chapter was shorter than usual, I made this one a bit longer, although not the usual fluff. Hope you like it. I just put up a new "Promonitions" story for next Tuesday's episode. Even after watching the promos several times, I still messed up some "known" scenes. Blame it on Bailey, who was lying in my lap helping me write. He admits to full responsibility.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Gibbs breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, all of your friends were injured. I don't have details, but I don't think he was hurt any more badly than you were."**_

_**Just then, Dr. Pitt showed up. "We have the MRI results." He was holding a folder.**_

_**Gibbs, Mimi and Lily stared at him, waiting for the verdict**_.

**I was waiting for more reviews for Chapter Nine before posting this Chapter, but I guess everyone is more focused on the storm. Stay safe!**

Chapter Ten: "Good News"

Dr. Pitt entered the room and pulled out the films. He put them up on the light viewer so they could see the images themselves.

Mimi immediately went over to stand by Dr. Pitt to look at the films. Gibbs stood by Lily's side, holding her hand.

"You scared us, kiddo." He said, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I was careful, and still this happened!"

"It wasn't your fault. We're just glad you are relatively unscathed." Gibbs squeezed her hand.

"But what about my friends?" Lily had tears in her eyes. "They _trusted _me to get them home ok." Gibbs stroked her hair.

"Again, not your fault, honey. The accident was totally out of your control. You were hit by a drunk driver."

Lily looked surprised at that. "I didn't know that." She considered that for a few moments.

Just then, Mimi and Dr. Pitt turned back to them. "The MRI looks fine. It looks like you have a hairline crack on your fifth rib. You may be a little sore, but it shouldn't cause any problems."

"We're going to keep you here at least two days, and repeat the MRI of the brain to make sure nothing delayed shows up."

Lily laid her head back against her pillow. "Do I have to? My Mom's a nurse; she can take care of me…" She trailed off as she saw three sets of heads shaking "no."

"Shi…ugar!" Lily said exasperated.

Dr. Pitt chuckled. "We're just waiting for a room to admit her to. Then we can make you slightly more comfortable." He left them alone.

"Excuse me, Dr. Pitt?" Mr. Fuller was motioning him over.

"Yes, Mr. Fuller, how may I help you?"

Mr. Fuller hesitated. "I know all about patient confidentiality, but my wife and I were wondering if we could see Lily Allen. She was driving the car."

Dr. Pitt looked at Mr. Fuller. "Why do you want to see her?"

"We would like to thank her for keeping our son safe and not letting him drive drunk."

Dr. Pitt nodded. "Let me go talk to them. If it's ok with her parents, _and_ Lily; it's ok with me."

Gibbs and Mimi decided to wait until a decent hour before calling Tony and Ziva with the update on Lily.

They were still discussing whether or not Gibbs would be going into work that day when Dr. Pitt poked his head from behind the curtain.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt. Mr. and Mrs. Fuller would like to visit Lily, if that is ok with all of you."

"Is Sean ok?" Lily blurted out.

Gibbs looked at Dr. Pitt. "Why?" He was slightly tense, much to Mimi's surprise.

"They want to thank your daughter for saving their son's life." Dr. Pitt answered simply.

Gibbs relaxed. He looked at Lily. "Do you feel up to it? We can put them off until tomorrow. I'm sure they'll understand."

Lily shook her head. "No, I need to find out how Sean is." She looked at Dr. Pitt. "Please tell them they can come."

His head disappeared. About thirty seconds later, Mr. and Mrs. Fuller appeared from behind the curtain.

Mr. Fuller walked up to Gibbs. "We didn't get properly introduced before. Andrew Fuller, my wife Susanne."

Gibbs nodded. "This is Mimi Allen, Lily's Mom; and this is Lily."

They both walked up to her and took her hand. "Thank you so much for not letting Sean drive. I have no doubt you saved his life."

Lily looked startled. "Hey, it was a planned deal that I would be the designated driver for the night, so I didn't do anything noble."

"But you still got those boys in your car to drive them home, to make sure they got there safely. We will be forever grateful for that."

Lily looked embarrassed. "Is Sean ok? No one will tell me anything."

Susanne Fuller held Lily's hand tighter. "He has a concussion and a broken arm. They just took him to MRI to make sure there aren't any other injuries that aren't obvious."

"Yeah, been there, done that." Lily said.

"Are you the same Lily that is Sean's lab partner?" Lily looked at Sean's Mother in surprise.

"Yes…" Mrs. Fuller broke out in a smile. "I thought so. He talks about you non-stop."

There was an awkward silence. The parents all looked at each other and tried to hide their smiles. Lily stuttered. "He does?" Her eyes reflecting shock, disbelief and wonder.

"We'll let you rest. Thanks for letting us visit. I'm sure we'll…see you again sometime." They left quietly.

Gibbs and Mimi turned to look at Lily, who was about twelve shades of red. Suddenly she winced. "Are you ok, are you in pain? Mimi asked.

Lily nodded. "They didn't want to give me much pain medicine until they did the MRI, but what they gave me has worn off. _Mommy_, it really hurts."

Mimi knew if Lily called her "Mommy" it had to be bad. She pressed the nurse's call bell. Almost immediately, the curtain swung back.

"Hi! Oh, I can see it. Need something for pain, Lily? Let me see what Dr. Brad has ordered for you. Be right back." She disappeared.

She returned about five minutes later, with a syringe. Lily started to cry. "I don't want a shot!"

Mimi brushed back her hair. "It's ok, sweetie. They'll put it in your IV." She turned to look at the nurse. "Right?"

The nurse smiled. "You can't scare me, Mimi. I wouldn't dream of sticking a needle in your daughter. IV it is." The nurse slowly injected the pain medication over the required time.

"Demerol 75 mg with Versed 10 mg. We'll see how she does with that. It will put her out, the question is how well and long it will control her pain."

She adjusted the O2 nasal cannula, and increased the oxygen to 4 Liters/minute.

Lily was already hooked up to monitors so they would be able to see if the medication was compromising her vital signs.

The nurse looked up. "We just got the word that her room will be ready in about an hour and a half, give or take."

"Once this medication has started working, we can start making preparations to move her upstairs as soon as we get the hear that her room is available. She will be in a monitored unit."

Mimi smiled. "Thanks, Cindi." Mimi looked at her watch. It was already 6:45 a.m. They had been there for just over three hours.

"Well, I have to say things moved a lot quicker than I thought they would." Mimi said.

At Gibbs' quizzical look, she responded. "Oh, it's not unusual for ED patients to wait six, eight, even twelve hours for a room."

"I have a feeling we are getting preferential treatment."

Gibbs looked at Lily, who was already out like a light. "Works good for me. I guess it's ok to call Tony now. They should be up."

"In fact, they should be at work, but since we woke them up early, I'll cut them some slack."

Mimi smiled at her Jethro, seeing his grin.

**Tony and Ziva's home- North Arlington**

Ziva was feeding Karina, who was also trying to feed herself by sticking her hands in her cereal bowl and sticking her fingers in it, then into her mouth.

Tony's phone rang. He looked at Ziva. "Gibbs."

Ziva let Karina continue to "feed" herself and went over to stand by Tony.

"How is she, Boss?" He listened closely, his arm around Ziva. "Ok, well I can imagine how scary that must have been for Lily."

"Do you want me to tell the team? I assume you will not be in."

Tony listened for a while. "Perhaps I didn't express myself properly. Glad you won't be coming in to work today, and that you are staying by Mimi's and Lily's side, Boss."

"We children promise to play nice at work. Call us if there are any updates."

He hung up and looked at Ziva, who was looking at him shocked. "Did you just 'order' Gibbs to stay home?"

Tony winced. "Yeah, I think I just did. Think he'll be mad?"

Ziva leaned into him. "No, I think he will be proud of you for taking charge. You may get a head slap later, however."

"So, how is Lily? Is she ok?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, broken ankle, but no surgery needed. Cracked rib, face messed up by the airbag, but nothing else they have found."

"They are keeping her in for two days, to repeat the brain MRI to make sure one of those weird delayed injuries doesn't show up."

Ziva sighed. "Did he say anything about the other kids in the car?"

Tony looked contrite. "I didn't even think to ask."

Ziva went back over to her daughter, whose face was now spotted with cereal.

Karina had actually managed to get most of the cereal on her fingers in to her mouth, although some had dripped onto her

"What a big girl you are, feeding yourself! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you, Karina!"

Karina grinned, and laughed. Suddenly, she started to whimper.

"What's wrong, sweetie. Did my punkin hurt herself?" Tony came over immediately.

Ziva was running her finger around Karina's mouth. As soon as she hit her gums, Karina cried. Ziva stood up.

"Our baby girl is teething. Thank goodness we thought ahead and put those teething rings in the freezer. Tony, can you please get one?"

Tony opened the freezer and look around. He finally located the requested item and brought them all out. Ziva smiled. "No, she only needs one."

She took the blue one and coaxed Karina to let her put it in her mouth. At first, Karina was non-cooperative, shaking her head trying to get out of her mother's reach.

However, once the cold ring came in contact with her sore gum, her eyes opened wide and she grabbed it and held it in her mouth.

Tony and Ziva both sighed in relief. "Do we have enough of these? She has a lot of teeth that will need to eventually show up." Tony asked.

Ziva looked at the ones in Tony's hand. "It would not hurt to get more. There is also some medicine I can get to rub on her gums."

"That would be best at night when she is sleeping. She cannot sleep holding the ring in her mouth, and I do not plan to stay up all night holding it for her."

Tony nodded. "Thank God you know about this. I must have missed the class on teething." Ziva smiled.

**NCIS**

Tony and Ziva were a little late, having to deal with Karina. Tim was in the bullpen already.

"Hey you two, you look really tired. Have a rough night?"

Tony and Ziva looked at each other. "Tim, the Boss won't be in today. Lily was in a car accident last night."

"There was at least one fatality that I know about." He held up his hand before Tim could speak.

"She is in the hospital. GW. I think her worst injury is a broken ankle, but they are keeping her for observation. Gibbs called us around, what?" He looked at Ziva.

"Two-forty a.m. He wanted us to take Bailey." She said so McGee wouldn't feel bad he didn't get a call.

Tony looked at McGee. "I'm going to let you tell Abby. You are the only one who can keep her calm. How you do it, I have no idea."

Tim nodded, dreading having to add this news to Abby's already bad day.

"I'll go now. This could be on the news or internet. I don't want her to find out like that." Tim took off.

He entered the lab, the music a little less lively than usual. Tim sighed, knowing Abby was still upset.

He really hated to add to her sadness, but she needed to be told what had happened.

"Abby?" He called out. He found her sitting in her office area, clutching Bert.

Tim pulled up a chair, removed Bert, and took hold of both of her hands. "Abby, I know how you are feeling right now, but I need to tell you something."

Abby looked at Tim, her face white. "Oh, no. Timmy, please tell me no one is dead. I couldn't…I mean I can't…"

He squeezed her hands. "No one is dead, that is no one we know personally; but there has been a car accident…Lily is in GW. Gibbs and Mimi are with her now."

Abby threw herself into Tim's arms. "No!" she wailed. "Why do bad things always have to happen to good people?"

"Abby, _Abby_!" Tim forced her to listen to him. She looked at him, her mascara running down her cheeks. Tim smiled and wiped at the black mess.

"She has a broken ankle and is being kept in the hospital for observation. Tony said Gibbs thought she should be ok."

"So he called Tony?" She sounded a little hurt that Gibbs only called him, and didn't call Tim and by extension, her.

Knowing exactly what she was thinking, because he momentarily had the same thought, he responded quickly.

"He only called Tony because they needed them to take Bailey."

"They didn't know what was happening or how long they were going to be gone. Ziva said they called around 2:40 in the morning."

"I'm sure they wanted to get more information before they started calling everyone in the middle of the night. At that point, all they knew was that she had a broken ankle."

"Frankly, I'm glad they _didn't_ call and wake us up at 2:40 in the morning to tell us Lily had a broken ankle."

Abby nodded her understanding and grabbed a tissue. "Ok, but I expect to be _immediately_ informed of any updates. You make that clear to Tony."

Tim kissed her on the lips. "I will definitely make sure he knows the appropriate chain of command." Abby had to smile at that.

**GW Hospital**

Gibbs stared at his phone, slightly amused. "What?" asked Mimi.

"My Senior Special Agent just 'ordered' me to stay home from work today, and stay with my family."

"Tony is smarter than you give him credit for, Jethro." Mimi yawned.

Gibbs took her hand. "You look so tired. Why don't you try to rest? It looks like Lily will be out for a while."

"I know from experience that those recliner chairs in the patient rooms aren't too bad to sleep in."

"And for the record: I give Tony a lot of credit, and he knows it. He knows how proud I am of him because I have told him so, on multiple occasions."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to imply you don't appreciate your team or Tony in this case." Mimi touched his face.

"I know exactly how you feel about your girls and I know you are blown away by Tim's abilities." She folded herself into his arms.

Gibbs shrugged. "I do tend to be tougher on DiNozzo, but today is the perfect example of why: someday this will be his team."

"He needs to see things from all perspectives and be ready to step up to the plate when necessary."

"He led this team a couple of years ago, when I decided I needed to 'retire,' and did a damn great job at it."

"In fact, he did such a good job; he was offered his own team in Rota, Spain."

Mimi pulled back in surprise. "And he didn't take it? Why not?"

Gibbs shrugged. "I had just come off a very serious injury and still wasn't 100%."

"He felt he needed to stay to watch over me. He doesn't know that _I_ know about that, so don't bring it up."

"Personally, I think the reason he stayed was Ziva, but maybe not. It was before Somalia and that was the turning point in their relationship." Gibbs shrugged.

Mimi nodded; always amazed at the multitude of layers that was Leroy Jethro Gibbs. "I think I will take your suggestion and try to get some rest."

Gibbs kissed her. "I'm going to run home real quick and take a shower and change clothes. What do you want me to bring you?"

Mimi gave Gibbs her list, and he soon after left. Mimi sat in the chair, thinking of the recliner that would be in Lily's room, after moving it closer to Lily's bed so she could hold her daughter's hand.

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home- North Arlington**

Gibbs took a quick shower and got dressed. Suddenly, he looked around, realizing how empty the house was without Mimi and Lily and Bailey.

A year, ago this wouldn't have fazed him one bit. Suddenly, it hit him hard that he could have lost another "daughter" in a car accident.

He sat on his and Mimi's bed and started to shake. He put his head in his hands, trying to keep it together. Gibbs didn't often cry, though his eyes did occasionally "mist."

He shook himself hard and stood up. He had a family waiting for him, and he wasn't going to let them down.

_**Thanks for the nice reviews for the previous chapter. Always have to add some drama, but nothing too horrible. I am posting this sooner than I planned since I don't know if we will lose power or not with the hurricane. Everyone in Sandy's path please be safe. **_


	11. Chapter 11

_**.A year, ago this wouldn't have fazed him one bit. Suddenly, it hit him hard that he could have lost another "daughter" in a car accident. **_

_**He sat on his and Mimi's bed and started to shake. He put his head in his hands, trying to keep it together. Gibbs didn't often cry, though his eyes did occasionally "mist."**_

_**He shook himself hard and stood up. He had a family waiting for him, and he wasn't going to let them down.**_

Chapter Eleven: "Keeping Secrets"

**GW Hospital**

Gibbs returned to find Lily still out but in her room, and Mimi sleeping in the recliner. He brought out her favorite wrap and laid it over her, and then gently lifted her head to put a pillow behind it.

He placed a vase of flowers on the bedside chest, so it would be the first thing Lily saw when she woke up.

Settling himself into the only other chair in the room, he brought out his thermos, and poured himself a cup of coffee.

He sat there, watching the two most important women right now in his life, outside of work.

**NCIS**

Fortunately, the team had not been called out on a case. Tony and Ziva caught up of their paperwork from being out the day before Lily's accident.

Tim was already caught up on paperwork and was updating some software on his computer.

Tony's phone rang. "Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. Hey, Boss. How are things going?"

Ziva and Tim both raised their heads and walked over to Tony's desk, trying to listen in without Tony putting it on speaker.

Gibbs smiled. "Lily just woke up and wanted pizza so she is almost back to normal. Mimi has to force her to take the pain medication."

Tony smiled as he listened to Gibbs. "How about you guys? How are you holding up?"

Gibbs looked at Mimi. "Well, Mimi thinks she is sleeping here tonight, but she is wrong."

Tony laughed when he heard Mimi say "Oh, really?" in the background. "Well, Bailey misses you, but fortunately his girlfriend is entertaining him and keeping him occupied."

"Plus Karina is climbing all over them, so they are not bored in the least."

Gibbs chuckled at that. "Take a video; we would like to see that. We'll both be home tonight, so I'll come by and get Bailey later."

"Already done, I'll send it as soon as I hang up. Tell Lily we're thinking about her and tell Mimi to get some rest."

"Yes, I will. Thanks for taking lead, Tony. I'll see you tonight. Tell Ziva, Tim, Abby, Ducky and Palmer not to worry."

"Will do, Boss." Tony hung up. He immediately found the video in question and sent it to Mimi's phone. Only then did he look up. "Did you get much of that?"

"Well, it sounds like Lily is feeling better." Ziva offered.

Tony nodded. "Better and feisty. Apparently she thinks she has learned some ninja skills from you because she thinks she doesn't need pain medication." Ziva made a face at Tony.

"Gibbs says he and Mimi will be home tonight and he'll be by to pick up Bailey, but he expects a fight from Mimi."

Tim looked confused. "Why would Gibbs expect a fight from Mimi for picking up Bailey?"

Tony head slapped him lightly. "About going home, McClueless, and leaving her baby alone at the hospital. When you're a parent, you'll understand."

At that, Tim turned a bright red. Ziva instantly caught it. "What McGee? Is there something you are hiding?"

Tony turned his head sharply to look at McGee. "What? Are you embarrassed about talking about sex and making a baby?"

"Or perhaps," Tony continued, standing up and walking around McGee seeing how much he was squirming, "Someone has already made one?"

Ziva looked shocked, then smiled and walked up to McGee. "You know I have certain…skills. You cannot hide the truth from me, McGee. Is Abby pregnant?"

Tim swallowed hard and tried not to show his relief. "I can tell you with 100% certainty that Abby and I are not pregnant."

"How can you be sure?" Tony's eyes were squinted; certain he had caught Tim in a lie.

This time Tim looked at Tony like he was an idiot. "You're married, Tony. You figure it out."

Tony looked stumped for a minute and then Ziva hit him on the arm and looked at him. "Oh…OH! Sorry, Tim. Lost my mind for a moment."

"Only a moment?" Tim was happy he could turn the tables on Tony.

"Anyway, Gibbs wanted me to tell you guys not to worry and that Lily was doing well. McGee, go tell that hormonal woman of yours the latest, and Ziva and I will share the news with Ducky and Jimmy."

McGee ran down the stairs and Tony and Ziva took the elevator. Once inside, Tony reached over and flipped the switch. He pulled Ziva into a hug.

"How's mommy doing? You don't seem to be having as much morning sickness as you did with Karina."

They had their appointment two weeks after they found out they were expecting again. Mimi's ultrasound revealed that that Ziva was due closer to March 20th, give or take a few days.

Ziva smiled. "Yes, I am finding it easier this time. Maybe because I have been through it before, nothing is a shock, so it seems less if that makes sense."

"Well, you not running to the bathroom several times a day is certainly helping keep this under wraps." Tony planted a kiss on her lips.

Ziva was now near the end of her first trimester, and like last time, had more energy and was actually feeling quite well.

She was also getting cravings, a lot more than she did when she was pregnant with Karina. Weird cravings, like sardines and chocolate sauce.

The first time she ate that combination, Tony threw up. They made a pact that if she had a craving for anything really gross, she couldn't eat it in front on Tony.

Reluctantly, Tony flipped the switch back on and they continued their descent to autopsy. They found Ducky and Jimmy looking at a video of little Jamie on the computer monitor.

He was a month and 10 days old, and Jimmy was just beaming. "Oh, look how much he has grown, Jimmy!" Ziva exclaimed. "He is absolutely adorable."

"Ah, Tony and Ziva! Any news about our Lily?" Ducky asked

"That's why we're here. Gibbs just called. She's hungry for pizza and doesn't want to take her pain meds."

"She is doing quite well, then." Ducky responded.

Tony nodded. "Gibbs and Mimi will come home tonight, though he thinks he's going to have to drag Mimi away from Lily's beside."

"I can only imagine." Ducky responded. "And now that I am a grandfather, I fear that I may be just as difficult should my little boy ever be sick."

Jimmy listened to Ducky, grinning. "You are going to spoil my son rotten, Dr. Mallard."

"And enjoy every moment of it." He beamed. He turned to Tony and Ziva. "And how is our young Karina doing? It's seems like months since I've seen her."

At that, both Tony and Ziva felt a pang of guilt. "I am sorry, Ducky. I should bring her by to visit with you more often. There is no reason to wait for family gatherings or holidays as the only time you get to see her."

"In that case, I would like to make a date with Miss DiNozzo, if I may. Perhaps we may have tea together this Saturday?"

Tony and Ziva grinned. "We will check her social calendar, but I think she may have an opening." Tony replied.

"Very well, then. I will expect her at three o'clock sharp. Oh, and of 'course, you are invited as well." Ducky bowed.

Ziva kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Ducky. We will be there."

**Abby's Lab**

Tim was winded by the time he reached Abby's lab. Her music was blaring, so that told him she was feeling much better than she had been earlier.

"Abby!" Tim yelled, trying to get her attention. She caught him out of the corner of her eye and immediately grabbed her remote to turn down the music.

"Is there more news about Lily?" Abby wasn't sure if she should feel excited or apprehensive.

Tim nodded. "Yes, Gibbs just called. Lily is doing fine, wants pizza, doesn't want pain medication; Mimi wants to stay with her; Gibbs says they are both going home tonight. Oh, and they are picking up Bailey."

"Wow, good synopsis, McGee!" Abby beamed. "Anything else?"

Tim briefly considered mentioning how he almost revealed their plans, but since he didn't, he decided he shouldn't mention it.

He shook his head. "I think that's it. Ziva and I couldn't actually hear Gibbs' end of the conversation, so what we got was what Tony reported."

She gave him a big hug. "Did they say when she was being discharged?

Tim returned her embrace and gave her a quick kiss. "No, I think it depends on the results of her next MRI."

**August 17, 2013- Ducky's Brownstone, Georgetown**

Miss Karina DiNozzo arrived exactly on time at 3:00 p.m. for her "date" with Uncle Ducky. She was wearing the tartan kilt, hat and socks he had given Tony and Ziva as a baby shower present.

They fit her perfectly right now, and even though it was summer and a little warm for wool, they thought Ducky would appreciate it.

To keep Karina cool, she wore a sleeveless light cotton green top. They knew the hat and probably the shoes and socks, wouldn't stay on for long.

Karina seemed to like the tied-on sun bonnets, but little hats that sat on her head usually ended up on the floor.

"Welcome, my dear! Tony and Ziva, so glad you could join us as well." Tony and Ziva grinned at Ducky's antics. Karina reached right out and went into Ducky's arms.

"Aren't you a big girl!" He cooed, taking her into the sitting room and bouncing her as he walked. She laughed and touched his cheek.

Tony and Ziva sat down on the sofa, as Ducky sat in his wing chair with Karina. He looked at them.

"She really has grown. I know it hasn't been _that_ long since I've seen her?"

Tony thought about it. "I think you came down to day care a couple of weeks ago so we could spy on her."

"Yes! I had forgotten that. We were quite the team; she didn't even notice we were there." Ducky chuckled.

Ziva looked around. "Ducky, if you have anything you do not want broken, would you mind if Tony and I moved it temporarily? I do not want Karina to grab something valuable to you."

Ducky looked around. "I think everything I have that's breakable is too high for her to reach."

"Well, we will keep a close eye on her anyway."

Ducky looked surprised. "Is she already that mobile?"

"Oh, you have no idea." Tony deadpanned.

"Well then, young lady. Why don't you show Uncle Ducky what you can do? Let's put you down, shall we?"

Ducky gently put Karina on the floor in a sitting position.

As expected, the first thing she did was take off her hat. To say she "yanked" it off might be closer to the truth. Ziva chuckled and got the errant hat.

"Sorry, Ducky. She doesn't like things just sitting on her head."

"Quite understandable." Ducky answered. He looked at Karina. "Well? Are you just going to sit there?"

Karina raised one eyebrow and him and grinned. She immediately got on her hands and knees took off.

"Oh, my…" Ducky said.

"We told you." Tony got up to retrieve his daughter and turn her around before she ended up at the stairs.

Not to be deterred, she headed for the coffee table. Reaching up with her hand, she slowly pulled herself into a standing position, using the table for support.

"Hey, Ducky, do you have any music? Something lively or with a beat?"

Ducky smiled and got up. "I have just the thing." He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a CD and put it in the player.

Suddenly the room was filled with Scottish folk songs that were clearly for dancing.

Karina's eyes lit up and she squealed. Suddenly, she started moving her hips back and forth and bouncing up and down.

Occasionally, she would beat one of her hands in time with the music laughing and babbling the whole time.

Ducky was astonished. "She's dancing!"

"Yep!" Tony said proudly. "We've already signed her up for 'America Can Dance.'"

"Tony." Ziva rolled her eyes, but she was just as proud of her daughter's accomplishments.

Another song came on, and she started lifting her feet up and down, like she was marching in place, although not quite in time with the music.

"My word, she will be walking before you know it!" Ducky was enthralled.

Suddenly, she started making her way down the side of the table, her feet moving sideways and her hands helping to propel her.

Tony immediately grabbed his phone and started the video. "This is the first time I have ever seen her do this!" He said with excitement.

**August 17, 2013- Gibbs' and Mimi's home**

After being observed for three days and getting a thumb's up on the MRI, Lily was discharged to home. Gibbs and Mimi moved her into "her" bedroom.

Mimi was worried about the stairs, but after a few hours Lily was a pro on her crutches.

She was annoyed at having a cast on her leg during one of the hottest months of the year.

Her leg was hot and itchy and it took all of Mimi's strength to keep Lily from sticking a coat hanger down the inside of her cast to scratch her itches.

"You'll tear up your leg and could get an infection!" Mimi scolded her. Gibbs made her a super thin wooden "blade" that she could put cream on and slip down inside her cast to apply to her leg.

It relieved her distress immensely and she was thrilled at his "invention."

"You need to patent this! I'm sure anyone who has a cast would want one of these!" She marveled at the workmanship.

Her friends were still in the hospital, including Sean; but they were talking on the phone several times a day.

Since his arm was broken, his texting and typing skills were limited, so they had to resort to the "old fashioned" way of communicating by calling each other on the phone.

"It's a good thing we have unlimited minutes or our cell phone bill would be enormous." Mimi quipped after Lily was once again on the phone with Sean.

Gibbs chuckled. "I guess. She seems to enjoy the calls."

"She acts like she's in love and she hasn't even gone out with him yet as far as I know." Mimi interjected.

"Hey, she's had boyfriends before, right?" Mimi nodded.

"Lily's smart and has her head on straight. She's not going to fall for some loser."

They invited everyone to come by tomorrow for an early cookout so they could see Lily, since none of them had been able to visit her in the hospital.

They could hear her clumping down the stairs. "Sean's getting discharged, probably tomorrow!" She announced triumphantly.

Mimi and Gibbs smiled. "That's great, Lily. I'm glad he's well enough to go home." Mimi replied.

Lily looked around. "What's with all the baby gates?" She noticed the stack of four gates propped up against the wall.

"Oh, Karina has become a very fast crawler. She has also learned to pull herself up and pick her feet up and down."

"We need to make sure she doesn't go anywhere she is not supposed to."

"Wow! I guessed I missed a lot this summer taking classes." She sounded left out.

"We told you to take it slow. Life is too short to rush things." Seeing her daughter's distressed face, Mimi went to hug her.

"I'm sorry, Lily. We weren't trying to make you feel bad."

"It's ok. But I'm still taking my fall classes, though I may drop a class. Depends on this." She said, looking at her cast.

"I think that is a very good idea." Gibbs kissed her cheek.

**Ducky's Brownstone, Georgetown**

Karina made her way to the end of the table, and then looked confused because there was nowhere else to go.

She looked up at her parents and grinned and flopped back down on her bottom. Ziva went over to pick her up.

"Look at my big girl, trying to walk." Ziva smothered her in kisses. Ducky took the opportunity to bring out the tea and "biscuits" as he called them.

He poured them all tea, to their liking. Karina had juice in her bottle. She still didn't like the sippy cup. Ziva tried one of the cookies.

She smiled. "Shortbread is one of my favorites. It is delicious, Ducky. Thank you for inviting us."

"Oh no, my dear. The pleasure is entirely mine." He looked at Ziva. "How have you been feeling lately? You seem, I don't know, different somehow."

Ziva lowered her eyes and looked sideways at Tony. He had an "I really hadn't noticed look on his face" so she knew he was not ready to share their news.

_**Thanks as always for the great reviews. We didn't even lose power with the storm tho' we did discover a roof leak in our kitchen-drat!**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**She smiled. "Shortbread is one of my favorites. It is delicious, Ducky. Thank you for inviting us."**_

"_**Oh no, my dear. The pleasure is entirely mine." He looked at Ziva. "How have you been feeling lately? You seem, I don't know, different somehow."**_

_**Ziva lowered her eyes and looked sideways at Tony. He had an "I really hadn't noticed look on his face" so she knew he was not ready to share their news.**_

Because I keep forgetting: I do not own CBS or any of its affiliates, NCIS or any of its character.

Chapter Twelve: "Catching Up"

"Really, Ducky? I do not feel any different. I hope it is in a good way in any case."

"Oh, yes, of'course. You always look lovely, Ziva. But you seem particularly…luminous."

At that, Ziva blushed. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"No, it is fine Ducky. I am always embarrassed by compliments. It is just my nature."

They spent another hour in each other's company. It became clear that Karina was more than ready for a nap, so they said their goodbyes and promised to come again soon.

On the drive home, Tony spoke up. "That was really nice. I'm sorry we didn't think to bring Karina to visit Ducky sooner."

"I forget sometimes that he is not always at the family get-togethers. I did worry for a second there about his comment about you looking different."

Ziva nodded in agreement. "I was stunned when he said that, but I saw the look on your face and knew how to proceed."

"And I feel bad as well we have not made the effort to see him more often. We have not invited Jimmy and Breena over by themselves either. We should do that, too."

Tony nodded in agreement. He looked in the rearview mirror. "Baby girl is out like a light. Hope that doesn't mean she'll want to stay awake tonight."

Ziva sighed. "Well, at least it is the weekend and we do not have to get up too early."

"Tomorrow is the welcome home for Lily, so that is all we need to think about."

**August 18, 2013- Gibbs' and Mimi's Home**

Mimi made Lily stay in bed with her leg elevated at least an hour until the family started showing up.

She protested bitterly over it. Bailey was at his post, watching over the sick and wounded.

He was overjoyed when Gibbs and Mimi came to pick him up after spending the night with Bridget.

But when they brought Lily home, he immediately attached himself to her side and hadn't left it since.

"Lily, you were just in a serious car accident. You have a cracked rib. You do not want to push this."

"Your body needs to heal and you can only do that by resting."

"And I don't want you clumping around all day on those crutches. They are to be used to get you from one seat to another. Don't fight me on this."

Lily gave in, because she knew her Mom was right. Her ankle still hurt and she had more discomfort from the rib fracture than she thought she would.

"Also," Mimi began, "You are not to spend the entire time everyone is here on the phone with Sean."

"They are coming to visit with _you_, not watch you ignore them while you talk to some boy."

Lily smiled. "Mom, Sean is not 'some boy.' But I wouldn't do that."

"I already told him I would be incommunicado for most of the day."

Gibbs walked in and planted a kiss on top of Lily's head. "How are you feeling?"

"You have that little crease between your eyes like your Mom gets when she's worried about something."

Mimi looked closer at Lily. "Honey, if you need something for pain, you need to tell me."

"I'm not going to shove these pills down your throat, but if you need one…"

Lily sighed. "Maybe just some Extra-Strength Tylenol. I don't want to be knocked out while everyone is here, or worse, drooling."

Gibbs suppressed his chuckle at that. "Hey, everyone is coming to see you but that doesn't mean they don't get that you are injured and probably in pain and may need to take a break from everyone."

"You are not supposed to be the life of the party today."

"Yeah, that's Jethro's job." Mimi laughed. Gibbs glanced at her, with his "you're kidding me, right?" look. "That'll be the day." He retorted.

"Here." Mimi handed Lily a pill. "Yes, it's a Tylenol No. 3, but you should be fine. It may make you drowsy, but not for long. Take it."

Lily obediently took the medication her mother had given her. Mimi ran her fingers through her daughter's hair. "Thank God you are ok."

Lily lay back and looked at her Mom and Gibbs. "I'm sorry I caused you so much worry."

"What did I tell you about apologizing?" Gibbs said.

"Rule #6- It's a sign of weakness." Both Lily and Mimi answered.

Gibbs nodded, and headed back downstairs.

"Bailey! Quit licking my toes! It makes me move my foot too much." Lily requested.

Non-deterred, Bailey moved up to lay beside her, first giving her cheek a lick, then settling himself close against her uninjured side.

Lily scratched his head. "You are the best boy ever!" Bailey looked up at her and grinned.

Around noon, the guests started arriving. Tim and Abby showed up first, with Abby holding a huge bouquet of black roses.

At first, Mimi was shocked, but then she remembered it was Abby and took them from her to put in a vase.

Jimmy, Breena, Jamie and Ducky showed up next. Everyone hovered over Jamie, who was still pretty uninterested in doing much of anything other than eating and sleeping and other baby bodily functions.

But he did open his eyes wide at the volume of the conversation. He tried to track with his eyes what was going on, but it was too much.

Abby sat on the outside glider holding him, with Breena right beside her. "He's absolutely beautiful, Breena. Which is ok to say about a boy baby."

"He will be handsome when he grows up a little, but to say he is beautiful right now…"

Breena touched her arm. "Thank you, Abby. I think he is beautiful, too." Abby smiled and touched his blond hair.

"I hope Tim and I are as lucky one day." She said wistfully. The baby woke up again and was staring at wonder at Abby.

"You are so precious; yes you are, aren't you? You little cutey!" Abby cooed at him.

Tim was watching Abby from the doorway, a smile on his face, but a worried look too. _"What if something was wrong and they couldn't get pregnant? What would Abby do?" _

"McGee, you look worried. Are you afraid Abby might try to smuggle baby Palmer home in her purse?" Gibbs clapped Tim on the shoulder.

Tim opened his mouth but nothing came out.

Gibbs frowned. "Is everything ok?"

Tim hesitated for a second. "Boss, I know this is a celebration for Lily coming home after her accident, but can I talk to you…privately?"

Gibbs tried to not look too surprised. "Sure Tim. Let's go downstairs."

He went up to Mimi and whispered in her ear. She also looked surprised and a little concerned, but nodded her head.

They both headed down to the basement. "Is this a bourbon talk?" Gibbs asked.

Tim looked startled. "What? No! I mean, not in the middle of the day. Sorry, Boss, I wasn't implying that it was wrong to drink bourbon in the middle of the day, or that you drink it in the middle of the day…"

"McGee! What is it? Just spit it out."

Tim started to pace. "Well, you saw how Abby was with Jamie. She's been that way since Karina was born."

Gibbs looked confused. "Well, you two are getting married next month if I remember correctly."

"What's the problem? Do you two have opposite ideas about whether or not to have children?"

"No, Boss. That's not it. We've talked about it and we definitely want to have at least one child."

"But Abby…she's _obsessed_ with it. I am getting worried."

"What if, for some reason we aren't able to have children? What will she do?"

"Will she blame me? Will she _leave_ me?" Tim let out his real fear.

Gibbs sighed and walked up to Tim. "What makes you think you might not be able to have children, Tim? Is there something you haven't shared with Abby?"

Tim looked confused at first, and then understood what Gibbs was asking. "No, no. At least not that I'm aware of."

He hesitated. "Boss, please don't tell Abby I told you this. We've already started trying."

"And it didn't work." Gibbs guessed.

Tim nodded. "We found out the day Lily had her accident. It was a double whammy for Abby."

"Well, it doesn't always work the first time." Gibbs told him.

"I know that; _Abby_ knows that. But somehow, she has just got babies on the brain."

"She was so broken up when she got…well, you know." Gibbs smiled slightly, a little TMI.

Gibbs sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Tim. If you love each other and really want a baby, then keep working at it until it happens."

"If it doesn't happen, as heartbreaking as it may be for you; you may have to consider other options."

"But the important thing is to love and support each other through this. And don't let _blame_ become a part of your vocabulary."

"It won't help, and it will definitely hurt the people you love most."

"Thanks, Boss. I feel better." Just then a commotion could be heard upstairs.

"Sounds like the DiNozzo family just arrived!" Gibbs quipped

"Greetings one and all!" Tony said as he strolled in with Karina, pushing her in the stroller with one hand and holding a large satchel over his shoulder.

Ziva brought up the rear with Bridget, Karina's baby bag and a gift for Lily. "What's in the bag?" Abby asked, as Tony let it fall off his shoulder to the floor.

"This, my favorite Forensics Genius, is what parents bring to entertain their children when they go visiting."

Inside was a multitude of toys, since Karina was at that curious stage that nothing kept her attention for very long; a pad for the floor in case she actually decided to stay in one place, and her pack-n-play in case they really needed to pen her up.

"Wow." Abby looked shocked at everything they had brought.

"And I have several changes of clothes, diapers, baby food, milk, juice, water, teething rings and medicine, wipes, creams; need I go on?" Ziva smiled at her friend.

"I did not think so. Abby can you help me put away the things that need to be refrigerated?"

Abby walked like a zombie behind Ziva. She had no idea that a baby was all _this_.

Under Ziva's instructions, she put the teething rings in the freezer and then helped her with the milk, juice and water.

Mimi was just as shocked at the number of items they brought. "Are you moving in?"

"I mean, you live just around the corner if you needed to go get something." Inwardly, she was laughing. _"How were they going to manage with two babies?"_

Tony grinned. "We like to be prepared."

"Ya' think, DiNozzo?" Gibbs just came back from downstairs. He promptly got the pack-n-play and set it up. He looked at Ziva. "You want this inside or out?"

Ziva thought about it. "It is such a nice day, I think outside. I will not be letting Karina crawl about the grass, so she will need to be…"

"Put in a cage?" Gibbs asked with a grin. "Come on! All kids need to play in the grass and the mud and get dirty."

"Perhaps when she is older but not today." They were staring each other down. "Whatever Mommy wants." Gibbs smiled. He obediently took it outside and set it up in a shady area on the deck.

Tony grabbed the other stuff and put it out of the way in the living room. He grabbed a couple of toys and threw them in the playpen.

He knew it would be a while before she got in there. She would have to make the social rounds with everyone first. Mimi got her first.

Karina loved Mimi and probably saw her as much as she saw her Mommy and Daddy.

"Momo momo momo." Karina said. She knew her name had that kind of a sound, but that it wasn't Mama.

Karina had never vocalized those words before, and Mimi suddenly found herself crying. Alarmed, Tony, Ziva and Gibbs rushed to her.

"What is it? What happened?" Mimi shook her said. "I'm sorry. I can't believe I started to cry. When I picked her up she said 'Momo momo momo."

"That's what we called our Grandmother, my Mom's Mom- Momo. It just brought back memories."

Gibbs put his arm around her. He looked at Tony and Ziva. "_Happy_ memories. From what Mimi has told me, she was a lot of fun."

Karina was tracing the wet spots on Mimi's cheeks. "Boo-boo." She said. Mimi laughed. "No Sweetness, no boo-boos."

She hugged Karina tightly and then gave her a big smooch on the cheek. Karina laughed and held her face, patting it.

"Ok, who gets her next?" "Me, me, me…" Abby was holding out her arms. Mimi transferred Karina into Abby's waiting arms.

"Hey, where's the guest of honor?" Tony asked.

"She's upstairs under forced resting. If she had her way, she'd be down here going back and forth, in and out, with no regard to the fact that she has injuries that are still very painful and need healing."

"She'll be down in a bit. If she's awake, you can go up and visit her if you want, but only two at a time, well three if you have a baby." Mimi smiled.

Ziva touched her arm. "I can only dream that I am half the Mother you are, Mimi." Mimi's eyes misted again.

"Don't get me started, Ziva, but thank you. And you are a wonderful Mother. I don't think you have to worry about any comparisons."

Mimi turned to go upstairs. "Let me go check on Lily and see if she is up to seeing anyone. Her biggest concern will be if her hair looks good, so…" Ziva chuckled.

Mimi headed upstairs and peaked into Lily's room. At first, she thought she was asleep, but as she was about to turn away, Lily spoke up.

"I'm awake, Mom. Just listening to all the shenanigans downstairs."

Mimi smile apologetically at her daughter. "I think you aren't quite awake enough to get down the stairs on the crutches."

"Are you up for some visitors coming up to see you here?"

Lily sat up in bed. "Yes, but I need to look more like me and less like night of the living dead."

"Mom, can you hand me my make-up bag and a mirror?"

Mimi chuckled, she knew her daughter so well. "Don't try to cover up the black eyes."

"First of all, you'll look worse, and second: never underestimate the pity factor."

Lily looked at her Mother in surprise. "Mom, you have been holding back on me."

"Now if you could share with me some of your feminine wiles that will work with Sean, my life will be complete." Mimi out and out laughed with that.

"Oh, my…" Lily smiled at her Mom. "What?" Mimi just shook her head. "Ok, here you go."

"And remember what I said, don't overdo it with the makeup, try to look like you, but don't try to hide the bruises."

"Ok, Mom." Lily set up her mirror and opened her make-up bag. "Give me about ten minutes."

Fifteen minutes later, Tony and Ziva knocked lightly on her bedroom door. "Hello? Is there anyone in here in need of some special attention?"

Lily broke into a wide smile. She followed her Mom's advice, and applied her make-up sparingly.

She just put on a little mascara, some translucent face powder, blusher and some lip gloss.

She was unhappy she couldn't do more than run a brush through her hair, since she couldn't bring both of her arms up to braid her hair. The pain in her rib made it impossible.

"Where's Karina?" Lily asked.

"We were not able to pry her from Abby. You will see her later. How are you feeling?"

Lily shrugged. "Not happy that this happened at all. Three of my friends were injured, two seriously."

"But you are ok, and that is what matters to us, although your concern about your friends is quite understandable and admirable." Ziva said soothingly.

"And do not worry about the black eyes and bruising; they will go away." Ziva sat on the side of her bed, holding her hand. Lily suspected that Ziva was speaking from experience.

"How's the pain, kiddo? Like the purple cast by the way. Abby will probably be sad you didn't get a black one." At that Lily laughed, then winced a little.

"Sorry, Lily. I'll try not to make you laugh. Pain is no fun. Don't try to ninja through it, like Ziva does."

"First of all, you aren't trained to, and second, it delays the healing process."

"Thanks, Tony. I'll remember that." Ziva handed her a package. "We got you a little something."

_**Thanks again as always for your great support. Hope those affected by the hurricane are getting on ok.**_


	13. Chapter 13

"_**How's the pain, kiddo? Like the purple cast by the way. Abby will probably be sad you didn't get a black one." At that Lily laughed, then winced a little.**_

"_**Sorry, Lily. I'll try not to make you laugh. Pain is no fun. Don't try to ninja through it, like Ziva does."**_

"_**First of all, you aren't trained to, and second, it delays the healing process."**_

"_**Thanks, Tony. I'll remember that." Ziva handed her a package. "We got you a little something."**_

Chapter Thirteen: "A Dose of Reality"

"Wow, you didn't need to do that." She opened the package and found a purple and lavender lightweight fleece throw.

"I know when I need special care or not feeling well, I always feel better when I have my favorite throw with me."

"We call it her 'blankey,' though we usually don't spread that around." Lily worked hard to suppress her laugh.

"Is there anything we can do right now for you?" Ziva asked, stroking her hair. Lily hesitated.

"Can you fix my hair? I wanted to braid it but because of this stupid rib, I can't bring up both of my arms to do it."

Ziva smiled wide. "I would be happy to braid you hair. Where is your comb and something to hold it together?"

Lily told her where to get everything. "Ok, this looks like fun, but I'll pass on the female bonding." Tony said.

"I'll see if I can get Abby to release my daughter and send her and Tim up."

He kissed Lily on the cheek. "You look great. Don't do this again." With that, he left the room.

Ziva chuckled. "He was very worried about you, as we all were."

Ziva got started on Lily's hair. She ended up doing a French braid and held it in place with a purple sparkly stretch band.

When Lily looked in the mirror, her smile was wide. "Ziva, thank you! This looks awesome. I could never learn to French braid my hair."

"It is easy. I will teach you." Ziva answered.

"Hi!" Abby and Tim stood at the door, Abby holding her big bouquet of black roses. "Oh, Abby I love them! Thank you so much. Hi, Tim."

Ziva excused herself so they could visit Lily privately. Abby took Ziva's place on the edge of the bed.

"I was so worried about you. I can't tell you how relieved I am that you are ok."

"I know. And thank you for all of your prayers and good thoughts that I know you were sending my way."

"I think the only one who benefitted from my accident was Bailey, who got to spend the night with his girlfriend, didn't you?"

Bailey had remained at her side during the visits, though he greeted everyone.

"Can you guys do me a favor? I think I am feeling good enough to go downstairs."

"Can you send my Mom and Dad up so I can talk them into it?"

Tim and Abby grinned at Lily referring to Gibbs as "Dad."

"Sure thing, Lily. We'll send them right up." Abby gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

They headed downstairs. They found Gibbs and Mimi with Karina on the swing set. "When did he build that?" McGee asked.

"I guess between now and the 4th of July." Abby answered, stating the obvious. They walked through the yard and up to the couple.

"Lily would like to talk to you. She says she feels well enough to come downstairs now." Gibbs and Mimi looked at each other.

"I think she has been in isolation long enough. We'll keep an eye on her. If she over does it, back to bed." Mimi nodded.

Tim and Abby stayed with Mimi at the play set. "This is so awesome!" Abby said. Tim looked it over.

"Look here; he can add things to it as the kids get older, and it looks like he can also make the baby swings into big kid swings, when the time comes."

"You are very observant, Tim. That's exactly his plan, plus adding monkey bars and a fort." She looked at him. "Would you like to push Karina for a while?"

He looked surprised, and then smiled. He came around and started pushing his niece. Her delighted laughs brought a huge smile to his face.

Abby watched him, seeing the joy on his face as he was pushing Karina. By this time, Tony and Ziva had joined them.

"I think we're going to have to get one of these for our backyard. Maybe I can get Gibbs to build one for us." Tony said.

Upstairs, Gibbs waited until Lily got out of bed. Fortunately, she was already dressed; she just had on jogging shorts and a pullover.

He tried to not help her unless she asked for it, knowing that pulling the wrong way would hurt far worse than her doing it herself.

He helped her to put on her shoes, then handed her the crutches. "I'm going to let you do the work, but you let me know if you get tired, or have pain and can't make it down on your own, Ok?' He rubbed her back.

"Ok, Daddy. I think I will be ok, though." She stepped into the hallway and headed for the stairs.

Slowly, one step at a time, she made her way down the stairs. When she reached the floor, Gibbs let out his breath. He had visions of her tumbling down the stairs.

"Ok, what's your pleasure: inside or outside?" Lily looked around. "It looks like everyone is outside, so that's where I want to be."

Gibbs smiled. "Ok, outside it is." He followed her as she maneuvered to the French doors and stepped out onto the deck.

Once she showed up, everyone cheered and clapped, startling her for a second, then she blushed.

"Lily, which chair do you think would be best for you?" Gibbs asked.

She looked at her options. "The chaise I think, with a pillow under my ankle. Sorry Jimmy."

Jimmy popped up. "Hey, no problem. I can sit on the floor for all I care. Can I help?"

Lily shook her head. "No, thanks, I got it." Lily hobbled to the chaise, turned and sat down. By this time, Gibbs had arrived with the pillows.

Lily turned and lowered herself onto the chaise, while Gibbs lifted both of her legs, then gently placed her casted ankle on the pillows.

"Lily, I don't think you have met our son: James Edward Donald Palmer."

Breena sat in a chair beside Lily so she could see the baby and let him grab her finger.

"Oh, he is just precious! And you call him Jamie. That is so cute!"

"And he has a Grandfather who is already trying to spoil him rotten." Jimmy looked fondly at Ducky, who was sitting on the slider with Mimi.

"That is what Grandparents do, Jimmy. It is out of my hands and beyond my control." Ducky winked at Lily.

Tony showed everyone the video he took at Ducky's showing Karina "walking" down his coffee table. He also showed some other video's he had taken of her "dancing."

Everyone lost it; her dancing was so cute and funny. "I guess she'll be taking ballet lessons as soon as she is old enough to be enrolled." Gibbs grinned.

The rest of the afternoon was spent eating delicious food, and catching up with Lily, since most of them hadn't seen her at all most of the summer.

"Will this affect you fall classes?" Abby asked.

Lily frowned. "I think I'm probably going to have to drop a class."

"Or two." Mimi cut in.

Lily sighed but didn't respond. "Daddy, I think I am getting tired. Can you help me back upstairs?"

Gibbs looked concerned and looked at Mimi, who was frowning. "Sure Sweetie. Come on, you know the drill."

They reversed how they got her into the chaise and got her standing upright and her crutches adjusted.

"Sorry to be such a party-pooper, but I guess I'm not as ready as I thought."

"Thank you so much for coming today to check on me. It…it really means a lot. I love you guys."

"We love you, too Lily!" Everyone shouted.

"Li-Li!" Karina laughed and clapped. Lily burst into tears. "Ok, enough excitement for one day." Gibbs said.

Gibbs picked her up like a little girl and carried her upstairs to her room, Mimi following closely behind.

Once they got her in bed, Mimi looked at Gibbs. He nodded and kissed Lily's head.

"Take some pain medicine and get some rest. Love you." Gibbs left the room.

Mimi waited until Lily obediently took her pain medicine before she spoke.

Mimi looked at your daughter. "I'm sorry if I upset you that you decided you had to go back to your room."

Lily looked at her Mom. "Oh, Mommy. You didn't upset me as much as I realized that you were right! I may have to drop more than one class and that…"

"I know, honey. But that's how life is sometimes; one step forward, two steps back."

"In your case, it's always been five steps forward, no looking back."

"Welcome to how the rest of us live. It's not pretty, and it's not always happy; but in the end, everything works out the way it is supposed to."

"You'll end up where you want to be, far faster than anyone should have any right to."

"But it just won't be as fast as you want it to be. Be patient, Lily. Good things come to those who wait."

Lily held out her arms, and Mimi held her daughter. "How did I get so lucky to have the best Mom in the world?"

Mimi blinked back the tears. "Ok, I have cried enough today."

Lily looked surprised. "When did you cry before?"

Mimi took a deep breath. "When Tony and Ziva first showed up and I took Karina. She said 'Momo momo momo.' I totally lost it."

Lily took her mom's hand. "Oh, Mommy. I wish I had known her."

"Oh, she was something. She drove us grandkids everywhere, and she put us to work cleaning her house when we spent the night with her."

"Mom would get so mad at us, because we didn't want to clean up at our house, but we did anything Momo asked us to."

"Another thing Momo used to do would be to come to our home after work when we were little and already in bed."

"She worked as a waitress in a restaurant downtown and would bring the homemade goodies."

"She had false teeth. I think everyone had false teeth by their fifties or sixties, things were so different back then." Mimi mused.

"Anyway, she would push her bottom set out so that they were hanging out of her mouth."

"She would then come into our dark room like Frankenstein or something, going "oohh, oooh," and then tickle us silly."

"As soon as she was done, she would make a quick exit. Mom would get so mad at her for waking us up and getting us all hyper and then leaving her to deal with the mess. It was great!"

Mimi laughed. "I remember spending the night one time with her and she and I shared a box of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies."

Mimi chuckled. "I got so sick; I still can't eat them to this day."

Lily laughed. "I wondered what the story was behind that." She was starting to slur her words.

"Ok, enough talk. Get some healing rest. Your body will wake you up when you are hungry or need something."

"However, we will still be checking up on you frequently." She kissed her daughter. "Sweet dreams and no worries. Love you."

"Love you too, Mommy." Lily said drowsily, as she fell asleep.

She closed Lily's door only slightly and made Bailey come with her. "You have been ignoring your girlfriend all day and she is miffed. Go make it up to her."

Bailey sat looking at her, cocking his head side to side, his ears moving like radars as Mimi was speaking to him.

When she was done, he grinned and ran downstairs. Mimi shook her head.

Bailey reached the deck before Mimi did and immediately went to the unknown entity: Jamie Palmer.

Ziva was holding him at the time, so she wasn't as alarmed as Jimmy and Breena were.

"Do not worry." She tried to reassure them. "He is just introducing himself. He has plenty of other friends to keep him occupied."

Sure enough, Bailey looked at him with interest, sniffed his diaper area, grinned, and then ran out onto the yard, taking super-fast circles around the yard to work off his excess energy that had been dormant all day.

"Wow, he's fast!" Jimmy said. Mimi had joined them by then. "You have no idea. When he gets excited like that in the house, get out of his way."

"How's Lily?" Gibbs looked up from the chair he was sitting in.

Mimi took his hand. "Took her pain medicine without a fight and is sleeping as we speak."

Jimmy stood. "Well, we certainly hate to break up this party as well, but we do have a little one that needs to be back home I think."

"Of'course, Palmer. We're glad you could come." Everyone said their goodbyes; Gibbs and Mimi walked them all to the door. "See you tomorrow, Duck, Palmer. Nice seeing you again, Breena."

They returned to the deck and sat on the slider. Mimi looked out in the yard and saw that Abby and Tim had taken Karina back out to the swing. Gibbs followed her gaze and got a gleam in his eye.

Mimi caught it. "Leroy Jethro Gibbs! You've got that 'I've got a plan' look in your eyes. What are you thinking?"

Gibbs grinned. "Well, like all well executed plans, there must be willing participants." He turned to Tony and Ziva.

"What do you think about taking a weekend trip and letting Tim and Abby take care of Karina, in your home naturally."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other, surprised. "I'm intrigued, Boss. Why would you suggest this…adventure?"

"Well, they are getting married next month. Tim is worried that Abby is in love with the idea of having a baby, but really has no idea what having a baby involves."

"Well, that's clear when she saw all the stuff we brought." Tony laughed.

"You did bring a lot of stuff, Tony. I would be scared if I wasn't already a mother." Mimi scolded him. She turned to Gibbs. "What is the end-game here?"

"Do you want them to realize that they don't want kids after all? Because I know from talking to both of them that they do."

"What? Hell no. I can't wait to see a little Abby or little Tim. But I think they need a dose of reality." He turned to Tony and Ziva.

"You two make it look so easy. It helps that Karina is a very good baby. Maybe it will give them some confidence. At least, that's my hope."

Tony and Ziva again looked at each other. "What do you think? I have no problems leaving our little stinker with the McGeek and Goth Queen. That is as long as she doesn't end up with a tattoo when we get back."

Ziva chuckled. "Abby would not dare, although I would not put it past her to put a temporary tattoo on Karina, just to freak us out."

They all turned to watch Abby push Karina on the swing while Tim was catching her feet, saying "wee!" Karina was laughing hysterically, her eyes mere slits.

"We'll come up with something plausible." Tony decided. "Lily looked pretty good, considering what she had just been through." He changed the subject.

Gibbs sighed, as did Mimi. "It's been a rough week. But I think, especially after today, she's finally realized that she's going to have to slow down a little bit."

"How about the other kids in the car? Are they ok?" Ziva asked, worried.

Mimi answered. "The two boys on the passenger side were injured the worst. Both are still hospitalized."

"Multiple fractures, and internal injuries but they are both expected to recover. They have a long road ahead of them."

She looked at Gibbs and smiled. "What?" they both asked.

"Well, the other boy in the car was Sean. He was seated behind her. So his injuries weren't as bad as the other two."

"Concussion, broken arm. According to Lily, he was supposed to be discharged today."

"So what was the smile about?" Tony asked.

Gibbs squirmed. "Ah, hell. I almost punched his father out in the waiting room."

"What?" Both Tony and Ziva exclaimed.

"Well, we were the first parents there. I went out to see if any of the others had arrived, saw them sitting alone, took a chance and introduced myself. I mentioned Lily was the driver of the car."

Tony was getting excited. He knew the boy's father had to say something really offensive to piss Gibbs off and couldn't wait to find out what it was.

"He immediately accused Lily of driving drunk and almost killing his son."

"This is better than a movie." Tony said with excitement. "What happened next?" Gibbs and Ziva both rolled their eyes.

"Oh, I quietly yanked him into a corner and told him the truth: Lily was the designated driver of three young men who were so drunk they couldn't even get in the car without her help.

"Wow, Boss! What did he do then?"

"Well, I backed off and asked him if he had anything else he wanted to say."

"He did apologize and complained no one had told them anything about their son, Sean."

"So I took care of that, and talked to Dr. Pitt so they could go back and see him."

Mimi chuckled. "Sean's parents later asked permission to see Lily and thanked her for saving his life."

Ziva looked closely at Gibbs and Mimi. "But there is something else, yes?"

_**Thank you my wonderful readers for your kind review and to my new faves and followers. Momo was my grandmother, we called her that, and every memory Mimi told Lily really happened. And yes, to this day I cannot eat Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies. So what does my husband do when he returned from Lowes? "Look what I got you!" Beaming with pride at how thoughtful he was: a box of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies. Bleech!**_


	14. Chapter 14

"_**He did apologize and complained no one had told them anything about their son, Sean."**_

"_**So I took care of that, and talked to Dr. Pitt so they could go back and see him."**_

_**Mimi chuckled. "Sean's parents later asked permission to see Lily and think her for saving his life."**_

_**Ziva looked closely at Gibbs and Mimi. "But there is something else, yes?"**_

Chapter Fourteen: "Hatching the Plan"

Mimi took hold of Gibbs hand. "Lily thinks she is in love with this boy, and they haven't even gone out on a date yet, as far as I know."

"And you know this because…" Tony cocked his head.

"Well, she has alluded to having a crush on a boy in her class, and he was the only one she seemed overly concerned about after the crash."

"When Sean's Mother mentioned he talks about her non-stop she turned bright red and stuttered for a while."

"Oh, yeah." Tony said. "Classic signs."

"They have been talking constantly on their phones since she got home." Gibbs said. "Except for today, we wouldn't let her talk to him today with everyone coming over."

Tim, Abby and Karina appeared on the deck. Tim gave Karina to Tony and flopped into one of the chairs.

"Tired, McUncle?" Tony chuckled.

"You are definitely going to have to get her a swing set, Tony. We almost couldn't pry her out of the seat!"

Gibbs found it hard to not smile. "Hey, Boss…"

"Yes, Tony. I will _help_ you build a play set in your backyard." Gibbs was watching Karina.

Tony got up and put Karina into her playpen. "Ok, kiddo. It is time for you to entertain yourself for a while and let the adults take a breather."

Karina looked at her father as if saying "What did I do?" but was quickly drawn to one of her stuffed toys.

She had a stuffed plushy puppy that she liked very much and sometimes took it with her as she was crawling.

Bailey and Bridget bounded onto the deck, panting. "You're thirsty, Bailey. Drink some water." Mimi ordered.

Bailey looked at her then went immediately to the water bowl and started lapping it up.

Bridget got the idea and was soon joining them. Ziva looked surprised. "Does he always do that?" She asked.

"What?" Mimi asked. "Drink water when I tell him to? Sure. He also takes a nap when I tell him he is tired and needs one, too." Tony and Ziva just shook their heads.

Karina got sight of the dogs and pulled herself up and babbled out something. Bailey and Bridget immediately looked up and headed in her direction.

They both sat facing her, while she stood in the playpen, sounding like she was giving them instructions.

The adults watched this exchange for a few minutes. Finally, Tim spoke up. "I don't know, Tony. Sounds like they're planning a heist."

Everyone laughed at that, which distracted the dogs. Karina yelled out something and they immediately turned her attention back to her.

"I wish I knew what she was saying." Whispered Ziva, watching her daughter in wonder as she interacted with the dogs.

"She's like the 'Dog Whisperer'." Abby said. "Kyle could use her at his center."

"How is your brother doing, Abby?" Ziva asked. Abby beamed. "He's good; they're both good. Everyone's busy and working so that is a good thing."

"Are they excited about the wedding?" Mimi asked.

"Yes, but I am still having a problem figuring out how I can have three men walk me down the aisle."

"Abbs, I know you told me years ago that if you ever got married, you would want me to walk you down the aisle." Gibbs said gently.

"But you have _two_ brothers now. I don't think I should take that responsibility."

"But I want you to, Gibbs!" Abby was adamant.

"Well, I've seen two people walking the bride down the aisle, but I don't think I have ever seen three." Tony quipped.

"That's it! You've solved my problem! Thank you Tony!" Abby gave him a big hug." "Ok." He replied, not sure how he solved anything.

Ziva yawned. "That's my cue." Tony said standing up. "Little Mommy here is tired and needs to get her rest."

Everyone was quiet for a second. Tony suddenly realized he may have just revealed their secret.

Trying to look nonchalant, he looked around. "What? Who do you think Karina belongs to?"

"Her Mommy here. Sometimes you guys are just weird." He picked up Karina and gave her to Ziva.

"I'll get the stuff out of the fridge and pack up your baby bag." Mimi said, getting up.

"Thank you, Mimi." Ziva said, cuddling Karina. Gibbs had already left and showed up with the big satchel Tony had arrived with to put all of the things that Karina "required."

They folded up the pack and play, and stuffed everything into the bag. Tim took it. "Abby and I will help you. You have a lot to carry here."

"We got here on our own, McGee. But thanks, we probably could use the help after our 'strenuous' day."

Everyone said their goodbyes, and soon the four friends were headed toward the DiNozzo home.

When Gibbs closed the front door, Mimi started chuckling. "Oh, my God! For a minute I thought Tony spilled the beans."

Gibbs put his arm around her. "Did you see the look on his face? He thought he did too."

"Good comeback, though. Sure hope Abby bought it, because if she didn't, she will badger him into submission."

Gibbs looked at Mimi quizzically. "So what do you think Abby meant when she said Tony solved her problem?"

Mimi shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure I understand how Abby's brain works, so it could have gone off in some entirely different tangent."

She looked at Gibbs. "Come on, let's go check on Lily."

**Tony and Ziva's Home- North Arlington, VA**

They all got everything inside. Tony turned to Tim and Abby. "Hey, guys, thanks. I don't know what I was thinking, bringing all this stuff."

"Being a Daddy." Ziva teased. Tim and Abby laughed.

Tony considered for a second. "You want to stay for a bit?"

Tim and Abby looked at each other. "I thought Ziva was tired."

She nodded. "Oh, I am, but it is different being tired and being at someone else's home and being tired in your own home." She turned to Abby. "Karina needs a bath; want to help?"

Abby held her breath. "Can I?" She whispered.

Ziva chuckled. "Of'course. I will give you a shirt to put on."

Abby followed Ziva and Abby upstairs. Tim turned to Tony. "Why would Ziva need to give Abby a shirt?"

Tony slapped Tim's back. "McGee, you are in for a treat!" He led him upstairs. Ziva looked up when they showed up in the bathroom.

"I thought Tim might enjoy watching the…experience." Ziva smiled at Tony, knowing he was being bad.

"Ok. Well, she is still small enough for her own little tub, but she will outgrow this in a few months."

Ziva put about three inches of warm water into the tub. She also got the hand spray down, but did not have it turned on.

"Ok, Karina, bath time." Karina clapped her hands. "Bah bah!"

"That is right! Abby could you help me undress her? Thanks!"

Abby undid her little top, and soon she was down to her diaper. Tony came in, picked her up and smacked his lips against her belly and made a large noise.

Karina squealed in delight. Tim and Abby couldn't help but laugh at their antics. Ziva smiled. "Since Daddy has his little princess, he can take off that diaper."

Tony brought her down to his chest and said "oh."

He shrugged and laid her down in the tub. "Ok, prepare yourselves in case it's a bad one." At that, Tim and Abby took a step back.

Tony peeked first. "I think it's just pee, no poopie-pants this time, that's my big girl!" Karina laughed and clapped. "Poo-poo."

"Thank goodness she has learned to say that." Ziva glared at Tony.

Diaper discarded, he handed her back to Ziva, who then sat Karina in her tub. What ensued was a revelation for Abby. Ziva applied the gentle baby cleanser and bubble bath.

Karina had bubbles all over her, was flaying her arms, spreading bubbles and water all around.

She slapped at the water; she tried to eat the bubbles, and she tried to get on her tummy.

Through all this, Ziva calmly bathed her daughter, including shampooing her hair. She finally grabbed the hand spray, turning it on to a gentle flow and adjusted the temperature.

When she was satisfied, she proceeded to rinse her daughter. Karina held her face up so the spray hit her, giggling.

"Towel!" Ziva said, as if she was a surgeon asking for a scalpel. Tony handed her the hooded baby bath towel.

Before you could blink an eye, Ziva had Karina ensconced within the towel and was carrying her to her room.

Abby was still on her knees by the tub, her front quite wet from the splashing. "Wow…" That was all she could come up with.

Then she grinned. "That was so much fun! I want to do that again." She was jumping up and down.

She ran into the bedroom, where Ziva was finishing drying her off.

Tony then took over, quickly replacing her diaper and putting on a onesie.

While they were still bathing Karina, he had gone downstairs and heated a small bottle of breast milk.

Ziva took her from Tony and handed her to Abby. "Really?" She asked. Ziva smiled and nodded.

Carefully, Abby sat down in the rocking chair with Karina, and offered her the bottle. Karina put her hands around it, but didn't try to hold it herself.

Her eyes were glued to Abby as she sucked on her milk listening to Abby talking to her. Tim was standing beside her, amazed at how great Abby was doing.

Ziva and Tony held back and stood at the door, watching their friends take care of their little girl.

Slowly, the baby's eyes got heavier and heavier, although she fought hard against the inevitable.

Sleep finally won out. Abby looked at Tim. "Do you want to burp her?"

Tim looked surprised. "Won't that wake her up?

"Nah." Tony said from the doorway. "She's out like a light."

"Well, ok. I'll give it a try." Abby slowly stood and carefully transferred the sleeping baby to Tim.

"That's right. Hold her against your shoulder and gently pat and rub her back." Tim was surprised at how comfortable he felt holding Karina like this.

He did as instructed and was rewarded with a particularly loud belch. Tim's eyes got huge and he turned to Tony and Ziva in alarm.

"She gets that from her father." Ziva chuckled.

Relief flooded his face, as he thought he had patted her too hard and she had burped out her insides. Tony and Ziva walked over to them.

"Ok, Probiedaddy, just lay her down in her crib. That's right. We cover her with her little cotton blankey here and leave 'Bobo' with her."

"Bobo?" Abby and Tim asked the same question.

"Her favorite toy, her little puppy. She calls it Bobo."

"That's so sweet." Abby was overjoyed at the experience she just had.

Quietly, the four adults left the room, leaving the required nightlight on and not quite closing her door.

They headed back downstairs. Abby and Tim flopped on the sofa. Tony and Ziva chuckled.

"It can wear you out, that's for sure." Tony commented on their expressions.

"Oh, I'm not tired, I'm exhilarated. I want to do it all again. It was so much fun!" Abby bubbled.

Tim looked at her smiling. "Well, I'm not quite as 'exhilarated' as Abby; but I have to admit, I enjoyed it. Gave me some confidence."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other. "That's great, because we have a favor to ask you. But we don't want you to feel obligated."

"Of'course we will babysit Karina! Won't we, Tim?" Abby answered for them both.

Ziva smiled. "Well, it is actually more than babysit." She waited until she got their full attention.

"Tony and I need to go away for a weekend and we cannot take Karina."

"Why not?" Abby asked, never one to mince words.

"It's a family financial business sort of thing, and no place for a baby." Tony quickly answered.

"So," Abby said, "You would like us to watch Karina overnight, over the weekend. How many nights are we talking about?"

"Two." Ziva answered. "Three." Tony countered. They looked at each other. "I thought we decided to come back Sunday night?" Ziva questioned.

"Ok, two at least; possibly three. We'll leave it up to you, that is, if you agree to watch our baby girl."

Tim cleared his throat. "Well, first of all, Tony, Ziva; we are honored that you would entrust Karina to our care. I have a few questions."

"Would she be staying with us? Because we only have the one bedroom and you know how much stuff I have lying around."

"Although, I have to admit that Abby has done a great job of trying to make some order out of the chaos."

Tony shook his head. "We had Gibbs and Mimi stay here in the guestroom while we were in our honeymoon."

"I think for Karina that would be the best plan, though it may not be convenient for you."

Tim and Abby nodded. "When are you talking about?"

Tony grimaced. "Next weekend. I know this is short notice and you are planning a wedding. If it's too much, we can delay this trip."

Abby and Tim looked at each other, talking with their eyes. Tony and Ziva smiled, knowing they do the same thing.

"Ok! We are up for the challenge. So what are the logistics?" Abby asked.

Ziva spoke up. "We decided, again if it is ok with you, that you pick up Karina from daycare on Friday and take her home."

"We do not want to take her home, and then leave her. She is in that clingy stage."

Tony agreed. "If we aren't there, she probably won't realize that we have left her with you; at least for a while."

"But, she will definitely notice after a while we aren't there, and there could be some bad moments. You can call us at any time."

"Sometimes just hearing our voices is enough to calm her down. We also have DVD's of us that will probably entertain her and hopefully make her think she is with us." Ziva added.

Tony looked at Ziva. "The big question is whether we come back Sunday or Monday. If we wait until Monday, you will need to get her ready and take her into work to daycare."

Ziva spoke up. "Gibbs and Mimi are around the corner and can help if there is any real issue you are feeling overwhelmed with."

"That's my other question." Tim said. "Why are you asking us and not Gibbs and Mimi? Oh, wait- Lily."

"Duh, Timmy." Abby said. "I'm up for the whole thing. What do you think Tim? Want to play parents for a long weekend?"

Not waiting for Tim to answer, she turned to Tony and Ziva. "Can we take her out, you know for walks and things?"

"Of'course. You may find that you both need to go out and you cannot leave her at home alone."

"Wait." Tim said, suddenly concerned. "Jethro."

Abby looked exasperated. "You know he's going to be busy with…oh!"

Tony and Ziva looked confused. "Jethro? Our dog?"

Ziva looked uncomfortable. "Is he ok with other dogs? Bridget loves everybody, but I do not think she will be happy if another dog tries to eat her."

Tim had to chuckle at that. "So far, he has loved every dog he has met. We take him to dog parks all the time and also to Kyle's place."

"But I don't know if he has any experience with a baby."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other. "Well, we'll have to find out. Why don't you come to dinner tomorrow after work and bring Jethro." Tony decided.

"We can have a controlled and monitored meeting between Jethro and Bridget and Jethro and Karina." They all agreed that was a good plan.

They said their goodnights, and Tony and Ziva watched their friends head back toward Gibbs' house where their car was parked.

They closed their front door and Tony pulled Ziva in his arms and kissed her.

"So, what are we really doing next weekend?" Ziva asked. Tony grinned.

"I thought we'd go to the beach house on Martha's Vineyard. The renovations were completed last month and it is available for us to use."

Ziva's eyes opened wide in surprise. She and Tony had spent two days in May visiting the home, and made their renovation choices mostly long distance with the company they had selected.

Like the New York apartment, it had been kept well-maintained but needed updating.

In keeping with its location, they spent more on the renovations than Tony probably paid for their house, but it _was_ Martha's Vineyard.

One summer of rentals would pay off the investment. After that, it was all extra income, which also went into a special fund set up for maintenance and fees.

"That sounds nice." Ziva murmured. She nuzzled Tony's neck.  
"Not as tired as you said, hmmm?" He smiled.

Ziva smiled back. "Let us just say I got my second wind." She took his hand and led him upstairs.

_**Bailey does everything that Mimi told him to. I tell him he looks thirsty and to drink some water and he goes right to the water bowl, same with the nap thing. Thanks as always for the lovey review, favs and follows.**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Like the New York apartment, it had been kept well-maintained but needed updating. In keeping with its location, they spent more on the renovations than Tony probably paid for their house, but it was Martha's Vineyard. **_

_**One summer of rentals would pay off the investment. After that, it was all extra income, which also went into a special fund set up for maintenance and fees.**_

"_**That sounds nice." Ziva murmured. She nuzzled Tony's neck.  
"Not as tired as you said, hmmm?"**_

_**Ziva smiled. "Let's just say I got my second wind." She took his hand and led him upstairs.**_

Chapter Fifteen- "Operation Dirty Diaper"

**Monday Night- Tony and Ziva's**

Tim and Abby arrived around 6 p.m., so there was plenty of daylight left. Tony and Tim decided to introduce Jethro and Bridget in a controlled setting.

They were both leashed. Tony and Bridget were in the backyard, and Tim and Jethro joined them. At first, they both barked at each other, sounding pretty fierce.

The noise made Karina cry, so Ziva went upstairs with her. "I do not think I want to watch anyway." She told Abby.

After the barking ceased, Jethro came up to Bridget, who was glued to Tony's leg.

He started sniffing her, extremely interested in this new creature. Bridget's doggy brain took over and soon she was sniffing him.

"I think we can unhook the leashes." Tim said. Tony looked at Tim. "Are you sure?" Tim nodded.

"Ok, but in case your dog eats my dog, I will hold you personally responsible."

"Tony…" Tim rolled his eyes. The leashes were unclipped, allowing the dogs to move around more freely. Bridget walked away and Jethro followed.

Next, she ran to a tree and barked at Jethro. Jethro barked back and chased her to the tree. Then she ran up to the deck and sat in a chair.

Jethro followed and sat in front of her. He raised his paw and put it on the chair. Bridget sniffed it, and then licked it.

Jethro then stunned both Tim and Tony by lying down on his back, almost as if saying "I'm yours baby, come and get me."

"Oh my God." Tim said. "Now _that_ I didn't expect." Tony burst out laughing.

"Like father, like son? I'm sure that's what you do to Abby." McGee glared at Tony.

Abby came outside. "Good Jethro! Good Bridget! I'll go get Ziva and Karina."

About two minutes later, Ziva came down and sat down holding Karina. Bridget immediately got up and went over and kissed her. Karina grabbed her ear and laughed.

Jethro had sat up by this time, and was watching the interaction with interest. Abby went and sat by Ziva.

"Come on, Jethro. Come meet Karina."

Jethro obediently went over the Abby and sat. Karina noticed the new dog and babbled at him. Jethro's ears went back and forth and looked at Abby.

Ziva slowly held out Karina's hand for Jethro to sniff, ready to snatch it back it he made a move she did not like. Jethro inched closer and sniff the baby's hand.

Karina cooed and babbled again at him. Jethro got braver and moved closer.

He sniffed her diaper, then her belly which made her laugh. He then looked at her face and licked her cheek.

"Want to try putting her down on their level?" Abby asked.

Ziva nodded. "Inside I think." She and Abby took Karina inside, Bridget following. Jethro waited for Tim, and then went inside with him and Tony.

Ziva went into the family room and put Karina on the floor. Bridget was already at her side, lying beside her. Jethro came in and found them.

He sat down in front of Karina, looking down at her and Bridget. Karina started babbling at top speed. Jethro opened his mouth as if he as laughing.

Karina suddenly got on her hands and knees and started crawling toward Jethro. He backed up a little bit, then sat again.

Karina reached him, and then grabbed his fur so she could pull herself up into a standing position.

All of the adults held their breath, hoping this didn't upset Jethro. He just looked at her.

When she stood up, he licked her face. He then lay down and she rolled down on top of him, laughing.

Jethro rolled onto his back again, letting Karina climb all over him. Bridget joined in, making sure Karina didn't fall off and hurt herself.

They all looked at each other. "Well, I guess that answered that question."

Tim took out his camera to take video. "What a good boy you are, Jethro!"

He looked over at Tim when he heard his name and gave him a doggy grin. Ziva retrieved Karina to wash her hands and face. Tony looked at Tim.

"Have Jethro and Bailey met?"

Tim shook his head. "No, we never even thought about it before."

"Well, just in case Bailey gets jealous that Bridget may have a new boyfriend, I'll make sure they don't bring him with them if they should come over-that is if you guys are up for this little adventure."

Tim and Abby looked at each other and smiled. "Oh, yeah!"

Over dinner, they discussed the details. Tony and Ziva would be leaving Friday afternoon around 4 p.m.

Abby and Tim would pick up Karina from daycare and bring her home and have full charge of her, Bridget and Jethro until Ziva and Tony returned on Monday.

Tim and Abby would need to bring Karina into daycare Monday morning, but she would be picked up after work by her parents.

Tim showed Ziva how to work the video on their laptop so they could video talk to each other and Karina could see her parents, even if she could not touch them.

Numerous phone calls, photos and videos were also promised. "I will make out a list for you giving you her schedule." Ziva told them.

"As much as I am sure you are going to want to stay up all night with her and play, that is not going to work. She has a certain time for meals, bath and bedtime."

"How you do it is up to you. She does sit in her highchair for feeding. But do not worry about that now, I will write it all down for you."

Tony chimed in. "Where does Jethro usually sleep?"

Tim frowned. "With us, but we can keep him off the bed if you want."

Tony shook his head. "Nah, that's ok. Bridget sleeps with us, but don't be insulted if she sleeps with Karina. That's what Bailey did when Gibbs and Mimi were here when we went on our honeymoon."

Ziva chuckled. "But then they both slept with us when we watched Bailey when Lily was in the hospital. So she could end up with you as well."

"No problem!" Abby was literally bouncing up and down in her seat, she was so excited.

Tony continued, directing his words at Tim. "I'll also leave you instructions for feeding and treats for Bridget."

"Oh no." Ziva said.

"What?" Tim and Abby asked.

Tony looked contrite. "I said the "T" word, and when the "T" word is said, then "T's" must be given out." Tony got up from the table and got out one of the healthy treats they usually gave to Bridget.

He looked at Tim. "Can Jethro have one, too?"

Tim looked at Tony. "Well, since they are both sitting there, giving you their full attention, I guess the answer would be yes. Make him take it nicely."

Tony looked scared. "Maybe you should give it to him."

Ziva sighed with exasperation. "Oh, I will give them their treats. Yes! I said treats. What do you do?" She asked Bridget and Jethro.

Both dogs sat still, looking up at Ziva. Bridget sat up on her hind legs balancing herself on her backside. Ziva gave her the treat. "Good girl!" She rubbed her head.

Ziva looked at Jethro, who was looking at Bridget with a "what the hell?" expression. "Jethro, would you like a treat?" He turned back to Ziva, and held out his paw, to shake. Ziva took his paw and shook it.

"Now, take it nice." She held out the treat in her open hand. Very gently, Jethro took it in his mouth. "Good boy, Jethro." She rubbed his head as well.

"See?" She went and washed her hands, and then sat back down. The rest of the evening was hammering out the details. Tim and Abby left around 10 p.m., since it was a school night.

"See you tomorrow, guys." Tony walked them to their car. "And thanks again for helping us out in this bind."

"No, Tony. Thank you and Ziva for letting us do this. I can't wait for Friday to come!" Abby bubbled. He watched them drive away, and then pulled out his cell phone.

"Yeah, DiNozzo?" Gibbs answered.

"Hi, Boss. I just wanted to let you know that "Operation Dirty Diaper" was on."

Gibbs must have been drinking something because Tony could hear him spraying something and coughing and generally sounding like he was choking to death.

He could hear Mimi in the background sounding concerned. "Are you all right?"

"Here…" Gibbs could barely get out the words.

Mimi looked at the readout. "Tony, what did you say to Jethro to make him choke on his iced tea?"

Tony grinned, trying to imagine the scene. "Only if you tell me you aren't drinking something right now as well." He could hear the sound of a glass being set on a table.

"Ok, I am safe. What did you say?"

"I just told him "Operation Dirty Diaper" was on." He waited as he listened to the laughter then snorting coming from Mimi.

When she finally composed herself, she asked. "When is this…caper…going to occur?" She tried to muffle her laughter.

"This Friday after work, and through Monday after work. We have it all planned out. Abby is over the moon."

"By the way, they will be bringing Jethro, so it probably wouldn't be a good idea to bring a strange dog into the situation."

"I will overlook your comment that my dog is strange, but I appreciate what you are saying. Here, Jethro is among the living again."

"What's your story for needing McGee and Abby to watch Karina?" He still coughed occasionally.

"That Ziva and I had a business matter to attend to that required us to go out of town for the weekend." Gibbs nodded, as it sounded perfectly plausible.

"What are you really doing?"

Tony grinned. "We're going to the house in the Martha's Vineyard! We haven't seen it since all of the renovations, and it will probably be our only chance before the season ends."

Gibbs shook his head. All of this wealth that Tony suddenly had from his mother, and he had not changed one bit.

Oh, he was willing to spend a little bit more money on things, but they were still in their home he bought before he knew about his inheritance.

They had room for another baby, but if the family grew much larger, they may have to look at getting another home. But that was in the future.

"Ok, well I'll look appropriately surprised and shocked when Abby squeals the news to me tomorrow at work." Gibbs said.

Gibbs paused. "Did Tim seem excited? I know there's no way he could come close to Abby's reaction."

"He did Boss. We had them help us put her to bed last night. Abby fed her the bottle; Tim burped her and laid her in her crib."

"They looked pretty relaxed and comfortable with everything; otherwise I would not be going through with this."

Gibbs nodded. "Ok, well it sounds like a good plan. And I'm sure they know we are available should they need anything."

"And fortunately, we do not have the weekend call, so you are free to go out of town."

Tony breathed a sigh of relief. "Gee, Boss. Ziva and I didn't even think of that. Well, I didn't anyway. I'm sure Ziva knows our call schedule into 2015."

Gibbs chuckled at that. "Ok, well thanks for letting us know how it went. I'm sure we will be hearing about it all week."

**NCIS**

Gibbs was not wrong in his assessment: Abby talked incessantly about the coming weekend.

She came up every opportunity she could to ask Ziva a question about some item on her list, or ask if they could do certain things with her, like take her out.

"Abby, if the weather is nice, you may certainly take Karina out in her stroller for a walk. But if you take the dogs, you will both have to go."

"You will not be able to control the stroller and a dog on a lease. I know this from experience."

"If you both go somewhere, like grocery shopping, you will need to take her with you. Just make sure you are comfortable putting in and taking out the car seat."

Ziva took Abby's hand. "I have absolute trust in you. Do not worry, you will have fun and learn a lot about our little Karina."

"I have to warn you, she does have a temper." Tony contributed. "She's learning to pout and throw things, but nothing too serious. She has never had a major meltdown or embarrassing tantrum in a public place."

Ziva glared at her husband. "Karina does have her…difficult moments. But it is usually because she is overtired and she doesn't understand she needs to sleep and not play or whatever it is we want her to stop doing."

"I am sure we will be able to handle anything that she does." She hugged Ziva and then went and hugged Tony. "Thank you so much again for asking us to do this. We feel so honored."

She then went and hugged Tim, and to Gibbs' surprise, him as well.

"What was that for? I'm not giving you anyone to babysit." Gibbs asked.

"Because you're Gibbs, and I know we'll be able to call you and Mimi if we need to."

"You got that right, Abbs. Now I think you have some work to do?" He tried not to sound stern, but he needed her to stay focused on work right now and not baby duty.

**Tony and Ziva's Home- Thursday Night**

Ziva was fussing about the house, delaying packing and just getting in Tony's way. He knew she was stressing about tomorrow, but this was getting ridiculous.

After she looked in the refrigerator for the twelfth time, Tony took her hand, sat her out in the deck, and walked away.

She looked a little miffed, but had to smile when she saw him return with a tiny glass of wine.

"I know you are not supposed to drink right now, but you need to relax! You're making me crazy, going here, going there. I thought you were good with all of this?"

Ziva took a small sip of the wine, relishing the forbidden liquid. "I am sorry. It feels different this time. There is so much more she can get into…"

"What are you afraid of? Do you think she is going to hurt herself? Or worse; take off and leave the house without McGee and Abby knowing about it?"

At that, Ziva had to chuckle, which ended in a snort. She slapped him on the arm, which he promptly put around her shoulders. "You made me snort! You know I do not like it when that happens."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better; Mimi and Lily also snort. So maybe you can start your own club."

Ziva laid her head on her shoulder. "I am really fine with all of this. Really, I am! I do not know what is wrong with me."

"Maybe baby two is making your hormones wacky. No, don't you even think it. You know how you can get."

Ziva glared at Tony, and then laughed. "You are right, I can be…challenging."

"Challenging is not the first word that comes to my mind." Tony laughed. He hugged her tightly.

"Come on, let's go finish packing. You already have things ready for Karina for the whole weekend, so let's just relax and enjoy it."

"And if you can't figure out a way to relax, I'm pretty sure I can come up with something." Tony kissed her neck.

"Hmmm, that sounds very tempting. Maybe a bubble bath? I wish I could drink a full glass of wine." Ziva pouted.

"Do you really think one glass will hurt? Hell, I'm sure my Mom drank the entire time she was pregnant with me, I mean socially. And I turned out fine."

At that, Ziva burst out laughing.

"Well…I did turn out fine…" Tony was pouting this time. Ziva stopped laughing and kissed him deeply.

"Yes, you did, _very_ fine." Tony leaned into her kiss, and then leaned his head against hers. "So what do you say, since our baby girl is asleep, that we head upstairs and enjoy each other?"

Ziva stood and took his hands in hers and pulled him up. Smiling, she led him back into the house, Tony grinning widely as he followed her.

_**Thanks for the reviews as usual. More about the weekend in the next chapter.**_


	16. Chapter 16

"_**Well…I did turn out fine…" Tony was pouting this time. Ziva stopped laughing and kissed him deeply. **_

"_**Yes, you did, very fine." Tony leaned into her kiss, and then leaned his head against hers. "So what do you say, since our baby girl is asleep, that we head upstairs and enjoy each other?"**_

_**Ziva stood and took his hands in hers and pulled him up. Smiling, she led him back into the house, Tony grinning widely as he followed her.**_

Chapter Sixteen: "When All Else Fails, Bring in the Dogs!"

**NCIS, Friday August 23, 2013**

Tony and Ziva dropped Karina off at daycare and ran upstairs. They were on time, but preferred to be early since they were leaving a little early today.

Tim looked up. "Morning Ziva, Tony! Ready for you trip?"

"As ready as we can be." Tony replied. Ziva didn't answer. He knew she was going to be emotional when they actually left the office without Karina, but he hoped she could hold it together until that time.

"The question is: are you two ready?" Tony asked, smiling, because he knew they were.

Tim smiled back. "Oh, definitely. Abby was literally bouncing off the walls. I had to make her drink a glass of wine to calm her down so she could sleep."

"And some other things I am sure." Tony replied, looking at Ziva who looked up at him and smiled.

Tim blushed. "Yeah, well, whatever. The point is; she got a good night's rest."

"Hey, McGee: never be embarrassed about your sexual prowess. Good morning, Boss. Thank you, Boss." Tony said as Gibbs walked by and gave him a head slap.

Gibbs grinned. He looked at Ziva, who gave him a small smile. He sighed and wagged his finger, indicating she should follow him.

She got up, looked at Tony, and followed Gibbs. Tony's eyes followed her until they disappeared around the corner.

Gibbs took her into the elevator, the same elevator Tony and Ziva had been trapped in. Once it started moving, he hit the stop switch.

He turned to Ziva and held out his arms. She willingly took his hug. "How did you know I needed this?"

"Ziva, that baby made you lose whatever poker face you had. You've left her before. Abby and Tim will take good care of her."

She laid her head on her shoulder. "I am actually more worried about Karina. She knows we should be there. I am worried she will be upset."

"Oh, I have no doubt she will eventually notice Mommy and Daddy aren't there, and probably she will cry about it and maybe throw a tantrum." Gibbs said soothingly.

"That's why you have her Aunt and Uncle, who love her very much, taking care of her. They will take _care_ of her, Ziver."

"Plus you know Mimi and I will be over in a heartbeat if they need anything. So relax, ok? Why don't you go to the practice range or something today?"

Ziva looked surprised. "What if we get a case?" Gibbs shrugged. "Well, it's either that or paper work. Pick your poison."

Ziva laughed. "I don't think I can stay at the practice range all day."

"Then go work out, get rid of that stress. If you think Tony is just as stressed, make him go to. Hell, all four of you should probably go." Gibbs remarked. He turned the elevator back on.

Tony had kept his eyes glued to the direction Gibbs and Ziva had gone. Once he got a glimpse of them returning, he quickly looked down and pretended to be working.

"Ok, listen up! I want you three to go workout, just don't do any damage to yourselves. McGee! Take Abby."

"Boss?" McGee looked confused. Only Field Agents usually worked out, although theoretically the entire NCIS staff had use of the gym.

"Yes, Abby. Make her ride the bike or use the treadmill. She needs to settle down if she is going to be calm enough to take care of a demanding baby this weekend!"

Gibbs looked around. "Why are you still here?"

At that, they all took off.

Three hours later, Ziva had to admit that Gibbs had been right. She felt much better. The endorphins had kicked in and she felt great.

Tim and Abby had a bike "race", competing next to each other. They each "won" a race and felt really good and happy afterwards.

Tony settled for the treadmill, running five miles before his knee started protesting. After he was done, he grabbed Ziva and kissed her.

"Oh…stinky boy! Go take a shower!" Ziva tried to push him away, laughing. Tony smiled. "It _is_ a getting a little…ripe in here."

Ziva looked into Tony's eyes, momentarily thinking of that day. She crushed her lips against his. "Now…go take a shower!" She pushed him toward the shower room.

At lunch time, Tony and Ziva had gone down the daycare, like they always did, to visit with Karina. She loved daycare and playing with all of the toys.

There was a newborn added to the group, and Karina seemed quite interested and confused about this new little person. Ziva held her as they looked at the sleeping baby.

"That's what you looked like, when you were born, my Karina." Karina looked closely at the baby and babbled at it.

The baby moved and made some little sounds, which made Karina clap.

"Shhh …no, Karina. We do not want to wake the baby up. She needs to sleep, just like you do." "Be-Be" said Karina.

Ziva kissed her daughter. "That's right; baby."

All too soon for Tony and Ziva it was time for them the leave. Tony had worked with Tim and Abby for about a half an hour making sure they were comfortable putting in and taking out the car seat.

The whole team walked them to their car. Abby gave Ziva and Tony big hugs. "Everything will be great; you have nothing to worry about!"

"I know Abby." Ziva couldn't help by wipe away a tear. "Come on…" Gibbs gave her a hug and kissed her head. "I would worry more about Abby and McGee than Karina."

At that both Tony and Ziva laughed, though Abby and Tim just kind of looked at each other. Tony finally got Ziva in the car and they took off toward the airport.

He let Ziva have her little cry. Honestly, he felt emotional leaving his little girl behind as well. It felt wrong, like he was abandoning her. But that was his heart; in his mind, he knew everything would be alright.

He reached over, took Ziva's hand and kissed it. She looked at him and smiled.

"I can't wait to see you in that bikini!" Tony teased.

Ziva made a face. "I have not tried it on recently. I hope it still fits."

Tony looked surprised. "I haven't any noticed any changes yet with the baby. Have you?"

Ziva shrugged. "Just things feel like they are shifting around. I do not know if that even makes sense."

"Well, you will always be beautiful to me." Tony told her.

Ziva smiled and continued to hold his hand as they pulled up to the passenger drop off area.

"I'm dropping you off, with the luggage. You just wait here for me while I go park the car, ok?

"Ok." Ziva didn't try to argue. If he wanted to coddle her because she was pregnant, she wasn't going to give him a hard time about it, at least while they were not at work.

Tony returned about fifteen minutes later, took over the luggage and checked them in. The flight was only about an hour long, so they would get there very quickly.

**NCIS**

Finally, the time came for Tim and Abby to pick up Karina from daycare. Her car seat was already in the car as well as her "Bobo."

They entered the day care area. Karina immediately saw them and smiled. She babbled at them, clearly happy to see them.

"Hi, cutie-pie! Aunt Abby and Uncle Timmy are taking you home tonight, ok?" Tim had gathered the stuff that Tony and Ziva brought everyday with her.

Abby held out her arms and Karina willingly went to her. Abby smothered her in kisses, which made her giggle.

As they were leaving, Karina looked behind her, a little wrinkle in her forehead. Thinking she was wondering where her Mommy and Daddy were, Abby quickly gave her a big smooch and tickled her belly.

This distracted her, and they had no trouble getting her into the car seat. On the drive to Tony and Ziva's home, Abby sang fun little songs, and soon had Karina clapping and making sounds that seemed like she was trying to sing too.

They pulled into the drive, and Tim went ahead to open the door and get the dogs put outside in the back yard. He came back out to help Abby with Karina.

"Ok, Pookie; ready to go inside and see the doggies?" Karina had a hold of her puppy. "Bobo!" She laughed. Abby was surprised.

"Tim, I think she knows that Bobo is a dog! That's amazing."

"Or she could have heard 'blah blah blah' and she just decided to say 'Bobo.' I doubt if she can understand that yet."

"Yes, she can." Abby protested. "My niece is a genius." She carried Karina into her home, and took her upstairs to her room, to check her diaper.

She was determined to follow the routine Ziva had given her to the letter. The less changes for Karina, the less traumatic this weekend would be for her.

Karina watched her solemnly was she changed her diaper, watching her every move. "How's our big girl. Are you ready for some dinner?"

Karina grinned and held out her arms. Abby carried her downstairs and put her in her high chair.

By this time, Tim had let Bridget and Jethro back in, and they took a beeline toward her.

"Sit!" Tim instructed. They both immediately obeyed; one on each side of Karina, waiting for the food that would inevitably land on the floor.

She babbled away at her friends, as if she was telling them about her day. They looked up at her, their mouths open, smiling.

"Ok." Tim said, reading the instructions. "We have a choice of a meat, and vegetable and a dessert." He pulled out the choices that they had and he and Abby looked at them.

"Let's go with Chicken and dumplings, squash and bananas." Abby recommended. Tim read the instructions, and heated the chicken and squash.

Abby put portions in her bowl and got her baby spoon. Karina watched them carefully, and began banging on her highchair seat.

Tim laughed. "I think she is telling us to hurry up."

"Ok, sweetie, here you go." Abby tested the temperature with her lips and then have Karina a spoonful of the chicken. "Yum!" Abby said.

Karina smacked her lips and gummed her food. She obediently opened her mouth for more. Abby smiled. "This is a piece of cake, Timmy. What a good girl you are!"

Karina clapped and laughed. "Looks like she agrees." Tim chuckled.

"Ok, let's try some squash, ok?" Abby put some squash on her spoon and put it in Karina's mouth. Her eyes opened wide, and she spit the squash out, hitting Abby square in the face. Tim burst out laughing and took a picture with his phone. "Still think it's a piece of cake?"

Abby looked at Karina. "I guess you have no trouble letting us know what you don't like. Good to know." Karina stuck her tongue out.

"From now on, I think I will be wearing a raincoat when I feed you. You are not ruining any of my clothes, young lady."

Karina raised one eyebrow and laughed. The remainder of her feeding was uneventful, much to Abby's relief.

She got a baby wash cloth and cleaned her face and hands, since she had tried to help feed herself.

While Abby was feeding Karina, Tim was getting their dinner ready. Abby gave Karina a teething cookie, to gnaw on while they ate, and some teething rings.

**Martha's Vineyard**

It was 7 p.m. by the time Tony and Ziva finally got to the home. It was still light out. They did a quick tour to see how the renovations turned out and were quite pleased.

"Let's go for a drive." Tony pulled Ziva into his arms. One of the biggest surprises when they came to check on this property was the discovery of a '64 Ford Thunderbird convertible in the garage.

Tony was totally in shock and immediately had it checked out to see if it was still running, and to do what needed to be done to get it back into shape.

He had forgotten about this car, because he was never allowed to ride in it as a child. But then, neither was his father.

Apparently, this was his mother's baby and she was the only one allowed in it.

As he got behind the wheel, he felt a moment of breaking some sacred rule, but once they got on the road, that feeling disappeared.

They drove through town and found some roads that led to the beaches. They had their own private beach, but there were several small towns that had the main streets running along the water.

It was a beautiful drive, the sun setting over the water. Reluctantly, they headed back to the house, as Tony was not as familiar with the area.

They arrived back to their beach home unscathed. "That was fun!" Ziva said. "I love convertibles."

"And I love you." Tony pulled her into an embrace and kissed her deeply. Ziva kissed him back. "I love you, Tony." She kissed him again.

"Have we gotten anything from Abby or Tim?" As if on cue, their phones dinged. Tony eagerly grabbed his. "It looks like a photo from Tim."

They opened the message and gasped, then burst out laughing. Karina was looking pissed and Abby was looking stunned as her face was splattered with some sort of baby food.

"I guess we better find out what that is so we do not feed it to her any time soon." Ziva chuckled.

**Tony and Ziva's Home – North Arlington**

Abby put Karina in her play pen while she and McGee cleaned up the kitchen. Suddenly, they heard her wailing.

Running into the family room, they found Karina standing, huge crocodile tears running down her chubby cheeks. "Mama." She cried.

"Oh." Abby had tears in her eyes. "Maybe now would be a good time to do a video Skype with Ziva and Tony."

"I agree. Let me get set up." Tim went to his laptop and logged into Skype and sent an email to Tony and Ziva. "I hope their laptop is on. Otherwise, we may be waiting awhile."

Abby had picked up Karina, cuddling her. She sat on the floor with her so the dogs could come up to her and entertain her. That helped a little bit to distract her.

Both dogs lied down and let her climb all over them, which soon had her laughing. "Lesson learned? When all else fails, bring in the dogs!" Abby said.

Finally they got a response back from Ziva and Tim instructed her to turn her video on. Soon, the images of Tony and Ziva could be seen on Tim's laptop.

"Hey, guys. Everything ok?"

Abby's face showed up. "She just realized Mommy isn't here. The dogs took care of her." Tim moved the laptop so they could see Karina climbing over the dogs and laughing.

"Well, since she is happy, should we let her see us?" Tony asked. Too late. Karina heard her Daddy's voice and whipped her head up. "Dada!"

"Well, that answered that!" Abby picked up Karina and carried her over to the table where Tim had set up the lap top. They placed her in front of the screen.

As soon as she saw her parent's faces, she clapped and laughed and tried to touch them. She seemed perplexed that she couldn't reach into the screen.

Soon she was babbling at them at high speed. They told her they loved her and missed her and to be a good girl for Aunt Abby and Uncle Timmy.

"Give Mommy a kiss." Ziva brought her lips up to kiss the screen. Abby helped Karina reach her Mommy and she "kissed" her back. "Daddy too." They repeated their actions.

"Night Night, Karina Lee. We love you!" Tony and Ziva said together.

"Kar-lee" Karina said. Tony and Ziva looked at each other. "She's never tried to say her name before!"

They were finally able to pry themselves from the computer because they knew Karina needed to get her bath and put to bed.

Abby went upstairs with Karina. Tim stayed online for a few moments longer. "Other than the squash fiasco, everything has been fine. Don't worry."

"Squash. I was wondering what food that was she threw at Abby. So, no peas, and no squash." Ziva replied.

"Ok, Tim. Thanks for everything. We're not worried about a thing. Keep sending those pics and videos and we'll be happy. 'Night!"

Tony looked at Ziva. "How do you shut this video thing off? I think I was about to do something fun with my wife." Ziva smiled seductively and hit the appropriate button to turn it off.

_**You guys are the best. I am so glad you are enjoying this. I have to write shorter chapters, rather than one big long chapter, because it makes it easier on me. And maybe keeps you wanting more? I hope. Next chapter: Bath time! **_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Abby went upstairs with Karina. Tim stayed online for a few moments longer. "Other than the squash fiasco, everything has been fine. Don't worry."**_

"_**Squash. I was wondering what food that was she threw at Abby. So, no peas, and no squash." Ziva replied. **_

"_**Ok, Tim. Thanks for everything. We're not worried about a thing. Keep sending those pics and videos and we'll be happy. 'Night!"**_

_**Tony looked at Ziva. "How do you shut this video thing off? I think I was about to do something fun with my wife." Ziva smiled seductively and hit the appropriate button to turn it off.**_

**Since I haven't done this is a while: I do not own CBS or any of its affiliates, NCIS, its characters or stories.**

Chapter Seventeen: "All Tied Up"

Abby waited for Tim to come upstairs, and handed Karina over to him when he got there. Looking at Ziva's instructions, she picked out all of the items listed as being required for Karina's bath.

As soon as she saw her little bath tub, Karina laughed and clapped. "Bah bah!"

"That's my girl!" Abby praised her. She took Karina from Tim. "Ok. Now you double check with the list to make sure I didn't miss anything."

"Geesh…what's the big deal? It's a baby, water, soap, wash and rinse. How hard can that be?"

Abby looked at Tim, exasperated. "Did you not witness what we saw Sunday night? It's not like she's one of the dogs and you just spray her down with the garden hose. Really, Tim!"

He had forgotten the bath fiasco he had witnessed, but had not taken part in. He carefully studied the list. "Uh, you forgot to bring down the hand sprayer, so it will be there when you are ready to use it."

"See McGee? That's why we make the perfect team."

"Ok, 'baby tub in big tub, fill with three inches of warm, not too hot, water.' Tim, why don't you do that, while I undress our little girl here?"

Tim did as he was told, mentally measuring out the three inches.

In the meantime, Abby had efficiently stripped Karina down to her diaper. "Uh, Tony laid her in the tub to remove her diaper. I guess we should do the same." She looked at Tim for confirmation.

"Sounds like a plan to me." He shrugged.

Abby laid Karina down at the far end of the tub as Tony had and began to undo her diaper. Unfortunately, they were not greeted with the 'pee only' diaper that Tony undid.

"Oh, God! I think I'm gonna' puke!" Tim said, clearly grossed out. What they saw had to be the messiest diaper that any baby had ever created since God created babies.

"Do not leave me alone with this!" Abby warned. "We should have stuff in here for dirty diaper clean up." Abby lifted Karina's bottom and wiped as much of the offending material as she could off the baby.

She turned to Tim to get the wipes. When she turned back, she was horrified to see that Karina had managed to get her hands into her diaper and was now spreading her "good cheer" all over herself.

"Oh, no! Timmy, help me! It's all over the place!" Tim quickly grabbed a towel, a rather nice one he noted absently, wet it down and started wiping it all over Karina, removing most of the offensive material.

Karina was laughing the whole time, one eyebrow cocked. "You know, McGee, I think she did this on purpose."

"What do I do with this?" Tim asked, holding the now disgusting towel.

"Put it in the sink for now I think. I'm going to hold up Karina in a standing position in her bath tub. You need to turn on the spray, not too hot, and we'll spray her down in her tub."

They quickly went into action. Abby was surprised as how calmly Karina took all this, which made her think perhaps this wasn't the first time this had happened.

Tim rinsed her carefully, getting every bit off of her and into the little tub. Abby grabbed another towel and picked up Karina.

"Ok, now dump that water into the toilet. We need to wash out her tub and start all over."

Mission completed, they started all over. This time, it was pretty much a repeat of the first bath they had witnessed: all bubbles and splashing.

Tim was ready with the hooded towel when Abby asked for it, and she wrapped Karina in it and took her to her room. She made sure the baby was completely dry then turned to Tim.

"Ok, your turn." Tim looked surprised, but took over anyway. He had watched Tony put on the diaper and gave it a go.

It wasn't the best diaper change ever, but he didn't do a bad job considering it was his first.

He then took the little outfit Abby handed him and tried to remember how Tony got her into it.

He put it on over her head, and then gently pulled her arms through the sleeve holes. He finished by snapping the bottom.

Abby put her arms around him. They were both wet, but couldn't be prouder of what they had just done.

She kissed him. "Why don't you go get changed? When you come back, I'll go change. Make it quick."

Tim has back in less than two minutes. "Take Karina out of her crib and rock her for a while. I'm going to change and then fix her bottle."

"Ok…" Tim said. Karina looked at him solemnly, as he sat with her. He pulled her up so she was standing. She liked that and put her hands on his cheeks.

"You are a sweetheart, you know that? You're going to have the boys lining up outside your door, and I can't wait to see your Daddy's expression when that happens."

"Dada?" She said hopefully, looking at the door. Tim cursed himself. He dialed their number.

"Yeah, McGee, what is it?" Tony didn't sound worried.

"Hi to you, too. Just thought someone wanted to hear your voice. Abby is making up her bottle and Karina and I are sitting here in the rocker waiting for her. Let me put you on speaker."

Tim pressed the speaker button. "Ok, go ahead." He instructed Tony.

"How's my big girl? Daddy loves his Karina!"

Karina's eyes got huge and she whipped her head back and forth, looking for her Daddy. "DADA!" She exclaimed loudly.

"Hello, my sweetness, Mommy is here too. We miss you so much!"

By this time, Tim had moved the phone closer to Karina and she figured out her parents were somehow in this little black thing. "Mama…"

She sounded exited and sad and worried all at the same time. She then started babbling at full speed, probably telling them to get the hell back here.

Tony and Ziva continued to make soothing sounds of love and comfort to their little girl. "Kiss goodnight, Karina." Ziva said.

To Tim's surprise, Karina grabbed his phone and kissed it. "Uh, ok. Well, she kissed my phone. Oh, great. Here's Abby with the milk. We'll let you go."

"Everything's fine. We're all having a great time. Sorry if we interrupted anything."

Tony and Ziva's chuckle told him he had. He had to grin at that.

"Ok, McGee, thanks for letting us say goodnight to our daughter. We'll talk in the morning."

Tim ended the call. Abby handed him the bottle. "Really?" Tim asked.

"Yep!"

Tim sighed. He got Karina to lie back down in his arms, cradling her. As soon as she caught sight of the bottle, she didn't need any coaxing.

She had her mouth open before Tim even brought it toward her. Like the other night with Abby, she held on to it, but still let him hold it.

Tim talked softly to her, telling her how beautiful she was and what a good girl she was and every other superlative he could come up with.

"Aunt Abby and I just love taking care of you. I hope you are happy we are here, because we sure are, yes we are."

Abby was kneeling beside the rocker, her chin resting near Tim's arm.

"You are going to make a wonderful Daddy someday, Tim"

Tim looked at Abby. "Wow, thanks. And you will be an amazing Mommy."

He looked back at Karina. "Other than the diaper issue, she really is an easy baby, and clearly loves to take her bath. You think we'll get that lucky?"

Abby looked at him like he was nuts. "Are you kidding? We're going have to pry our baby away from their laptop just to get them to eat or bathe."

At that, they both chuckled softly, not wanting to disturb Karina who was almost fast asleep.

"Which reminds me; Tony and Ziva are not as computer savvy as we are. It is going to have to be up to us to make sure our niece is exposed to all of these great learning tools they have out their now for babies."

Abby's mind wheels were already clicking away. "We've got Christmas and her birthday coming up!"

Tim shifted Karina to his shoulder to burp her. "Abby, before you go all wild with this, you better make sure that's what Tony and Ziva want. They may not want their daughter glued all day to some piece of technology."

"I think Karina will get the chance to learn from each of us; you know Gibbs is going to have her sanding something in his basement, if he hasn't already."

Abby stifled a giggle at that. Karina took that moment to let out a loud burp. "You know, I really do think that she _does_ get that from her father." Tim said, smiling.

He gently got up and put her down in her crib, covering her as instructed and leaving Bobo there within her grasp. Remembering to leave the night light on, they closed her door almost completely.

Abby then went to the bathroom to clean up the mess they had made during the bath. The towel they wiped Karina up with Abby stuck in the toilet and pulled it up and down, to rinse off all of the mess.

Satisfied it was as clean as she was going to get it she grabbed a plastic bin to put it in and carried it downstairs to put in the washer.

Tim met her downstairs. The dogs had been sleeping, since no one had been paying attention to them; but once they came downstairs, Jethro and Bridget were all over them.

"Want to sit outside for a while? It's still early, and it's nice out."

Abby went and sat on the glider. Tim sat beside her and put his arm around her. "I'm glad they asked up to do this. I feel much more confident with a baby than I thought I would."

"However, we are going to get spoiled being in this nice house, and then going back to our cramped little place. I think we need to start house-hunting."

"Well, I've been thinking about that too, Tim. The housing market is starting to turn around, so if we want to get a great deal, we need to act quickly." Abby said thoughtfully.

She looked around. "As much I as would love to live in this neighborhood, I think it is beyond our means. But that would be so cool; all of us within walking distance of each other."

Tim sighed. He had thought of that too, and while he agreed with Abby's assessment that any house in this area was well beyond their means, as far as their current salaries went; he still had quite a bit of money from his books.

He wished now he hadn't splurged on that Porsche, or invested in that foreign account, that nearly wiped him out. It had started coming back, since he made some changes to his portfolio.

So on paper, things looked pretty good. He also had some money that Penny had given him, when he graduated from MIT. He had put that away in a jumbo CD so long ago, he willed himself to forget about it.

He didn't say any of this to Abby. "I'll ask Tony for the name of the agent they used. Maybe she can help us figure out where we stand on things."

"_Maybe I really better get going on that next book."_ Tim thought. Another Best Seller would seal the deal for them, but that would not happen in the next six months or any time soon after that.

They sat outside for a while longer, watching the dogs play and "pretending" to be home owners. It had been a long, tiring, but satisfying day.

Finally, they headed upstairs to take their showers. Even the hall bath was luxurious. Ziva had said they could use their master bath, but Abby and Tim felt like they would be invading their privacy too much.

Showers done, they settled into the guest bedroom. Initially, Bridget had placed herself in Karina's room. But when she realized everyone else would be down the hall, she soon joined them.

"Ok," Abby told the dogs, who were listening to her with rapt attention; "When it's time to go to sleep, you can come up on the bed."

"But we aren't ready to go to sleep just yet, so you two go lie down and mind your own business for a while."

She could have sworn both dogs faces fell when she told them to get off the bed for now. She felt guilty, but as soon as Tim reached for her, all of that disappeared.

They had survived their first evening as "parents." They hoped the rest of the weekend would go as well.

**Saturday, August 24, 2013**

Tim woke up, slightly disoriented. Then he remembered where he was. Abby was still asleep beside him, but the dogs were nowhere to be seen.

He quietly got up and stopped short. He was sure he heard some talking. _"Great, just what we need, a break-in." _

As he reached in the dresser drawer to get his gun, he realized the talking was very high pitched, and made no sense.

Smiling to himself, he quietly let himself out of the room and stood by Karina's door, and peeked inside.

Sure enough, she was standing in her crib, having a conversation with the dogs. Bridget and Jethro were sitting next to each other, their necks craned up so they could see the little baby, who was clearly in charge.

He quickly snuck back to the room and got his phone, went back and turned on his phone's video. He figured Tony and Ziva had seen something similar to this a thousand times, but it was the first time he had seen it, and he wanted to have it for himself and Abby. ABBY!

He again quietly ran back to the bed and gently roused her. "Wha…?" she asked sleepily. "Come on, hurry or you'll miss it."

Tim practically dragged her out of bed. Pulling her to his side in the hall, he placed her so she could catch all that was going on.

He was surprised to see tears form in her eyes. "Oh, my God, Timmy. She is just…so awesome." They continued to take the video for another two minutes until one of the dogs caught their scent and turned around.

Karina immediately looked up and grinned and started her usually litany of babbles and coos. Abby will swear to the day she dies that Karina said "Abby" but Tim just rolls his eyes.

They both went in and greeted their niece, ready to start a new day.

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home- North Arlington**

Gibbs was finishing his second cup of coffee when he heard clumping down the stairs.

"Morning Sunshine." He smiled at Lily. She came over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Morning, Daddy. Is that bacon I smell?"

"I guess you slept well, then." Mimi came in from the other room. "Would you like some eggs?" She asked her daughter.

"No, just bacon, burnt." Mimi laughed. "You always say that; like I don't remember how you like your bacon." She shook her head.

"How about you, Jethro? Would you like a second helping?" Gibbs looked at Mimi with his clear blue eyes and shook his head. "I'm going to have to do extra PT if you keep feeding me like this!"

Mimi put her arms around his shoulders from behind. Gibbs kissed her cheek. "You look fine to me."

"Ge-rosss!" Lily rolled her eyes. Mimi looked surprised. "What's up with you?"

Lily just shrugged her shoulders. Mimi took a wild guess. "Have you talked to Sean lately?"

"No! His parents have curbed his phone time. It's not fair! It's the only way we can communicate." Lily took a vicious bite out of her bacon.

"Ooo-kay…well, I'm sure his parents had a good reason for doing that. They like you, so I wouldn't worry they are trying to keep Sean from talking on the phone personally."

Gibbs changed the subject. "I wonder how things went last night with Karina. We didn't get any panicked phone calls." Mimi smiled.

"Something tells me Abby would rather die than ask for help." Gibbs smiled at that. "Yeah…" He took another sip of his coffee.

"Tell you what; if we don't hear from them by later this afternoon, let's just take a little stroll over there to see how things are. Who knows? Karina may have tied them up or something."

Mimi and Lily both started laughing as they pictured Karina swinging a lasso and tying up Abby and McGee like they were some calf.

Gibbs eyes twinkled, imagining the scene himself. He had no doubt that baby already had them tied around her little finger.

_**Thanks as always. Been a busy week, so falling behind a bit; hope to catch up in the coming week. Hope you enjoy that bath scene-haha  
**_


	18. Chapter 18

"_**Tell you what; if we don't hear from them by later this afternoon, let's just take a little stroll over there to see how things are. Who knows? Karina may have tied them up or something."**_

_**Mimi and Lily both started laughing as they pictured Karina swinging a lasso and tying up Abby and McGee like they were some calf.**_

_**Gibbs eyes twinkled, imagining the scene himself. He had no doubt that baby already had them tied around her little finger.**_

Chapter Eighteen: "An Unexpected Decision"

**Tony and Ziva's Home- North Arlington**

Breakfast went off without a hitch. Abby let Karina try to feed herself because it was so much fun to watch, but she made sure she got enough food inside her little tummy.

Ziva had said that Karina did not like the sippy cup, so Abby was pleased with herself when she took it from her and began drinking from it. Tim got off several pictures to send.

Tim put up baby gates at every place they thought should be off limits to the crawling baby. They made sure all the doors were securely closed and locked.

Abby actually preferred washing dishes to putting them into a dishwasher, so she sat Karina on the kitchen floor and gave her a wooden spoon and a big pot to bang on while she washed up the morning dishes.

Apparently, this was something new for Karina, because she was amazed at how loud she could make this new toy sound. Abby sang along with her as she banged away.

As she was putting some dishes away, she suddenly realized that the room was quiet. Karina was no longer on the kitchen floor.

"Karina?" Abby called out, trying not to panic. She ran to the family room and the living room, but could find no sign of her. She checked the gates, assured she could not have gotten past them.

"Timmy!" She wailed. Tim had been upstairs, but came rushing down and almost fell over the baby gate at the top of the stairs.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Abby was crying. "I've lost Karina! Tony and Ziva are going to kill me!"

"What do you mean you lost her? She has to be here somewhere." Tim searched the same rooms Abby had, but no baby.

"Karina!" They both called. Abby looked outside, perplexed. "Did you let the dogs out?"

Tim frowned. "No…" They both looked at the door. "Doggy door!" They both quickly ran outside.

Karina was trying to climb onto the slider loveseat but kept ending up on her bottom.

"Oh my God, Tim. She could have fallen off the deck or gotten on one these chairs and fallen…"

She grabbed Karina and sat on the slider with her, holding her tight, tears running down her face.

Karina touched her tears. "Boo-boo." She said sadly. Abby hugged her tighter.

"Yes, Karina sweetie, big Heart Boo-boo. Aunt Abby was so scared she lost you."

Tim was shaken as well. "Well, whatever confidence I've gotten has just been evaporated."

He looked at Abby. "This must not have ever happened to Tony and Ziva; otherwise they would have told us to lock the doggy door."

Abby nodded. "I'll look through the notes again, but I don't remember seeing anything like that."

"Ok, we don't want this to happen to them, so we'll say we caught her trying to go through the door. And nothing else."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Tim exclaimed. He watched Karina happily sitting with Abby, totally oblivious to the panic she had just caused.

"Ok, what do you say we put Karina in her stroller and take a long walk? It will help us get rid of our jitters."

Abby kissed Karina softly, and looked up at Tim and nodded. "That sounds like a good idea." She stood up. Tim enveloped both her and Karina in a big hug.

"Tony and Ziva could call at any time. You have got to get your game face on. We do not want them to suspect we almost screwed up big time here."

Abby nodded. She looked at Karina. "What do you say we go refresh our make-up and then go for a walk?" Karina grinned and patted Abby's face.

Abby headed upstairs with Karina and put her in her crib. She immediately started crying. "No, sweetie, it's ok, I'll be right back."

Less than ten seconds later, Abby was back with her make up bag, and touched up her make up using the mirror in Karina's room.

Karina watched her intently, her eyes wide. "Yeah, I know. I put on a lot more eye make-up than your Mommy does, don't I?"

Karina laughed and clapped. She bent down and fell over, picked up Bobo and pulled herself up again. "Do you want to take Bobo when we go for our walk?"

Karina watched Abby put her hair in pigtails. When she was done, Abby leaned over so Karina could touch them. Abby then shook them in front of her face, making her laugh.

Abby went to Karina's closet and pulled out a cute little jumper and top. She also found matching socks and some fun sandals.

Since it was really sunny out, she pulled out one of her tied on sun-bonnets.

She carefully checked Karina's diaper, and was pleased to see if was dry. "Good girl!" Abby cooed as she changed her into her new outfit.

Once she was dressed, Abby picked her up, gave her a big kiss and headed downstairs. Tim already had the stroller out and ready to go.

"Should we take the dogs?" Tim asked. Abby looked thoughtful.

"You'll have to handle both of them and keep them on the leash at all times, even if we find that park Ziva takes her to. They have leash laws here, so they can't just run around."

Tim considered it. "I think we'll bring them. They will enjoy it, even if they have to stay on the leash." He turned and went in to get the leashes.

He stuck his head outside and whistled. "Hey! Want to go for a walk?"

Both dogs bolted inside and sat, their tails wagging furiously as Tim attached each of their leashes.

Abby got a small bag that had wipes, and a small bottle of juice. Karina was already in her stroller, ready to go. "Keys?" Abby asked Tim.

He dangled them in front of her face. "Ok, let's go!" Tim helped Abby get the stroller down the steps of the front porch, then went and got the dogs.

He locked the house and reached Abby, who was already at the sidewalk. "Here we go!" She smiled. "Go go go…" Karina mimicked.

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home**

Gibbs waited until he thought Tony and Ziva should be up, and gave them a call.

"Hey, Boss! How's Lily?" Tony asked.

"Clumping all over the place with those crutches and pissed Sean is not allowed to talk on the phone for a while."

"How are you doing? Having a good time? How did the house turn out?" Gibbs was very interested in the renovation projects Tony had shown him.

"House looks great, Boss. You know, when 'Sandy' hit last year, I didn't know I had this house."

"We were damn lucky. One, in that the house didn't sustain major damage; and Two, that the holding company that was in charge of the property made any repairs that were needed right away."

Gibbs nodded his head. "I hadn't even considered that. So you're happy with how everything turned out?"

"Yeah, even Ziva likes the changes she initially vetoed but got overruled on."

Gibbs chuckled at that. "Heard much from Abby and McGee?"

Tony smiled. "We talked on the computer last night. It was funny seeing her try to figure out how we were inside the screen."

"Hey, Karina tried to say her name. We said, 'goodnight, Karina Lee' and she said Kar-Lee."

"Then Tim called so we could say goodnight to her. So far it sounds like everything is going great."

"Oh! Except we now know to add squash to the 'no' list of foods. I'll ask Ziva to send you the picture, it's hilarious."

Gibbs smiled, looking forward to seeing it. "Well, we've not heard from them on our end, so it sounds like there's been nothing they couldn't handle."

"Hi, Gibbs!" Ziva got on the phone. "I was just talking to them as you and Tony were talking. He is talking to them now."

"You do not need to repeat everything you said to Tony; I will hear it from him_._"

"They are just heading out for a walk in the stroller. Tim is taking both of the dogs with them."

Gibbs winced. "Well, I know Bridget won't be any problem, and I'm sure Tim knows how to handle his dog."

"I can't imagine though that I would have taken both dogs with me."

Ziva shrugged. "Abby sounded happy and like they were having fun. "We have gotten some pictures and videos; I will send them to Mimi."

Gibbs understood that Ziva was saying she figured he would have no clue how to open either item.

Since being with Mimi, and Lily, he had actually improved his phone and computer skills, but he didn't feel the need to share that with them.

If they wanted to think he was a technological moron that was fine with him.

"Ok, sounds good. Well, just calling to say hi and see how things with the house went. We'll see you Monday."

"Bye, Gibbs!" Ziva said softly. She turned to see Tony still laughing with Tim. Then he hung up. They smiled at each other.

**North Arlington**

Happy they got through their call with Tony and Ziva, the intrepid group made the round of the sidewalks.

They found the park that Ziva had mentioned and Karina had started clapping her hands.

"This must be the place." Abby said, amused by Karina's enthusiasm. She looked around. They had some baby swings, a slide and a sandbox.

Abby immediately nixed the sandbox, knowing all sorts of germs and gross things could be in there.

She opted for the baby swing and tried not to make a big deal about wiping it down.

"Abby, I know you work with and have seen a lot of horrible things in your career, but you're not going to be one of those moms that cleans everything before their child touches them, are you?" Tim looked surprised.

"What? No! But Karina is not my child, and I am not going to expose her to anything, what does Tony say?"

"Anything some 'snot-nosed kid' brought to this play ground. What they do is up to them."

She proceeded to pick up Karina and placed her in the now "cleaner" baby swing. Going behind her, she began gently pushing her.

Karina shrieked with laughter. Tim watched her, smiling at her face. "I hope Gibbs really does help Tony build that play set for his backyard."

"Of'course Grandpa will help, won't he Karina?" Abby spoke her words to match the swings.

Tim looked around. There were some other kids playing, mostly on the "older kids" stuff.

The park was well-kept and maintained. There were benches with other people sitting at them, as well as other dog owners.

So it looked like a nice neighborhood park that was shared peacefully among all age groups.

Tim really like what he saw, and it made him all the more want to start finding a house for him and Abby.

Maybe it wouldn't be in this neighborhood; but there were plenty of nice neighborhoods in Virginia and Maryland. He was sure there was a home out there with their name on it.

They stayed at the park for about an hour, and then started their trek again.

They went a different way home and headed down the street that was between Gibbs' home and Tony and Ziva's.

As they traveled down the sidewalk, Abby stopped. "What?" Tim asked.

Abby pointed across the street. Tim looked where she was pointing and frowned.

Two houses, one apart from each other, had "For Sale" signs up in their yards.

Tim turned back to Abby. "Abby, I know that look in your face."

He turned back to look at the homes. "I mean, look at them, Abby! They must be going for…Abby!"

Abby had already started to cross the street with the stroller.

Swearing under his breath, he ran the dogs back to the house and put them inside. "Sorry guys, house hunting is no place for dogs."

Tim locked up the house and tore back around the corner, trying to figure out which house Abby had gone into.

Knowing Abby the way he did, he went into the larger and most likely, the more expensive house of the two.

He was right. She was inside, holding Karina, chatting with the Realtor, who looked up when Tim huffed into the house.

"This must be Tim." The Real Estate Agent stepped forward, her hand outstretched. "I'm Catherine Cummings, how nice to meet you."

"Abby tells me you are looking for a home in this neighborhood." She turned and beamed at Abby, who was avoiding Tim's gaze.

Tim sighed. He took the Agent's hand. "Timothy McGee. Well, yes we are just starting to look for a home, and we love this neighborhood."

"We have close friends who live the next street over…"

"Then you will absolutely love this house. I see you already have a child. Well, this house is just screaming for children."

"Well, actually she's not ours. She's the daughter of our friends Tony and Ziva."

Ms. Cummings looked up. "Tony DiNozzo?"

Tim and Abby looked at each other. "Yes….."

She broke into a wide smile. "I sold him his home. I understand he did a lot of renovations to it."

They both relaxed. _Well, that was one item off the list_, Tim thought. _The name of his Realtor_.

Tim dutifully followed Abby as she followed the Realtor taking them through the house, extolling its virtues.

The more he saw, the more worried Tim became.

He knew there was no way they could afford this house, without even knowing the selling price, and Abby would be crushed.

They finally finished the tour, and Abby was breathless. Tim took Abby's hand and forced her to look at him.

She was able to read his eyes, and he could see her visibly deflate.

"Ok." Tim found himself saying. "What's the asking price?" Ms. Cummings handed over the stats for the home.

"Even though the housing market is coming back, I think you will be pleased with the asking price for this house." She said confidently.

Tim looked all over the sheet until he finally found what he was looking for.

He raised his eyebrows, because the asking price _was_ far lower than he thought it would be, but that's not to say it was by any means cheap.

"The owners are motivated. The husband has been transferred to the West Coast."

"They actually bought this house when the market was rock bottom, so it wouldn't take much for them to make a tidy profit."

"But they had to spend quite a bit to update this." Tim was working the numbers in his head.

Ms. Cummings shook her head. "They bought the house already renovated." She looked sad.

"It really is a typical story of the times. A young couple approved for a loan far beyond their means, the house loses value within a year, and then they both get laid-off."

"This house was purchased by the current homeowners as a foreclosure."

Tim gave the house the house a second look. It had everything they wanted, plus it needed no serious updates, and as far as he was concerned, it was decorated to his taste.

He wasn't sure Abby would agree with the decoration choices, but it was a nice house.

The basement wasn't finished, which surprised Tim considering the price, which he mentioned to the Realtor.

"Well, that's some wiggle room you have, plus the serious need for speed to sell this home."

Ms. Cummings switched from trying to talk them into buying this house; into could they afford this house.

"Have you been pre-approved for a mortgage?" She asked.

Tim looked at her. "No, actually we only decided last night to start the process. We are baby and house-sitting for Tony and Ziva and were just taking Karina for a walk."

He paused. "Can you excuse us for a moment, so we can talk?"

"Of'course." Ms. Cummings replied. She stepped out on the deck.

"Abby…"

"Tim, I know what you are going to say." She interrupted him. "But how can you explain this?"

"We go from one night talking about starting house hunting, to the very next day stumbling upon this great house."

"It's Karma, Timmy. We have to listen to what life is saying to us."

"And I have to listen to what my bank account is saying to us."

Abby's face dropped. "So, there's no way we can afford this, that's what you're saying?"

"No, I actually think we _could_ swing this, if we can get the owners to come down on the price some."

"But I don't want you to fall in love with the first house we look at."

"This is a great house, but maybe there is another one that you will love more."

"Are you willing to stop looking after one house and make such an important decision?"

Karina had been very quiet and observant during the whole time they at been at the house, but she finally spoke up. "No!"

_**Thanks as always for the reviews. No, it has not been a "perfect weekend" for Tim and Abby so far, but they have handled everything thrown their way. Isn't that the way life is?**_


	19. Chapter 19

"_**But I don't want you to fall in love with the first house we look at."**_

"_**This is a great house, but maybe there is another one that you will love more."**_

"_**Are you willing to stop looking after one house and make such an important decision?" **_

_**Karina had been very quiet and observant during the whole time they at been at the house, but she finally spoke up. "No!"**_

Chapter Nineteen: "We're All Family"

Abby looked at Karina, shocked. "Karina! I thought you were on Aunt Abby's side!"

Tim put his arm around Abby's shoulder. "That's exactly what I _don't_ want; taking sides, making this a battleground."

Ms. Cummings returned. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help overhearing, just a teeny bit." She smiled apologetically. "I also have the listing two doors down."

"Why don't I take you over to look at _that_ house, so you can have a comparison? It's a smaller house, but just as nice. What do you say?"

Tim and Abby looked at each other. Karina touched both of their cheeks. "Bye bye."

They both laughed. "Well, Karina has spoken, so let's go look at the other house."

Ms. Cummings locked the bigger house behind them and walked them two houses down to the other house on the block that was for sale.

She unlocked the Realtors lock and opened the door.

"I'm just going to let you wander around on your own. Then if you have any questions, I'll be here."

"Thanks." They both answered. "No wonder Tony got such a great deal. She really knows her stuff." He whispered to Abby.

They walked in and stood in the foyer. The size was closer to Gibbs' house than Tony and Ziva's.

But the interesting thing was that the updates were clearly more recent and, if Tim was any judge, a bit nicer than the other house.

For example, the counters in this kitchen were granite and the appliances new stainless steel.

The bigger house had Corian countertops and slightly older black appliances.

The rooms were a little smaller than the first house, but there was still a separate dining room and living room.

It didn't have the extra family room like Tony and Ziva's home on the main floor, but there was a small room off the living room, that looked like it had been used as a home office.

However, the basement was finished, as the missing family room and it also had a small bedroom and three-quarter bathroom.

Upstairs, there would have been four bedrooms, but like Tony and Ziva's home, the homeowners had combined two bedrooms into a master suite, leaving two extra bedrooms, plus the hall bath.

Again, it wasn't as big as theirs, but the bath was top of the line and there was a walk-in closet.

Tim had to keep himself calm. The minute he walked into the house, he felt he was at home.

Abby was unusually silent as they walked through the house.

They headed back to the first level and went out to the back yard. It had a large deck with a gazebo, and was beautifully landscaped.

Tim looked at Abby and saw she had tears in her eyes. "Abby?" Tim immediately went to her side.

"What's wrong sweetie? Is everything ok?"

Abby sniffed loudly. Karina rubbed her nose. "Oh, no Karina! Yucky! Quick Tim, give me something to clean her hand."

Once that was taken care of, Tim persisted. "Abby…" She turned to Tim, the tears still glistening in her eyes.

"It's absolutely perfect, Timmy. It may be smaller than the first house, but it is just right for us."

Tim hugged her. "Let's go hear about this house." He took her hand and they walked outside.

Tim went up to Ms. Cummings. "Talk to me while I look at the outside."

She smiled, knowing this would be the outcome. "Well, as you can see, it is a smaller house."

"It does have the same number of bedrooms as the first home, which tends to be a big factor in home values."

"But it also does not have the separate first floor family room and an additional bedroom cannot be added to this house, which could be added to the first and increase its value, unless you undo the Master Suite."

She smiled when she saw Tim, Abby and Karina shake their heads "no" at the idea of breaking up the Master Suite.

"Bottom line? Very similar situation as the first house, except this house the current owner can no longer afford."

"The wife is quite ill and can no longer work and her medical bills have wiped them out."

"They are moving back in with her parents. They also bought this house during the housing crisis, and they did put in the upgrades, which in my opinion are nicer than the bigger house."

"Their goal is to get out of this house, pay off what they owe, and make a little profit."

"Having said that, this home is on the market for $130,000.00 less than the first home you just looked at."

Tim's eyes bugged out at that. He turned to Abby. He whipped out his phone. "Hi Gibbs! No, we're good."

"Can you come over to the next street, yeah the one behind your home? I want you to look at something."

Abby was almost vibrating with excitement. "Oh my God, Timmy! Are you really considering this?"

"I mean, are we…" She swung Karina around until she started laughing.

Less than two minutes, later they could see Gibbs turn the corner, see them and head in their direction.

The confusion on his face cleared up when he saw they were standing front of a home for sale.

"Are you kidding me? Why don't we just move NCIS here?"

Without asking, he took Karina from Abby's arms. She gave him a big kiss and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Ok, show me." Tim walked Gibbs through the house.

As with Tony, he checked out the electrical panel and what wiring he could see, and the plumbing.

He pulled down the attic latter and climbed up and walked around the attic. After about five minutes, he came back down."

He went downstairs, then upstairs, and ended up in the backyard. He walked around the foundation of the house.

Finally done, he looked at Tim. "I take it you want to buy this house?"

"It's a good buy, Boss, and we like it. But I just wanted your impression of the things people like me never look at."

"This is what the Home Inspector is supposed to do." Seeing Tim's downcast face, he put his hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Tony had me do the same thing." Tim brightened at that.

"What I can tell you is that the roof is new, the electrical and plumbing system look new within the past four or five years and look to be up to code."

"I don't see any major issues with this home, Tim; in my limited capacity to see these things and the limited amount of time I looked around."

"It's about the same size as my house; As long as you and Abby don't have twelve kids, it's a good size."

"And if you and Abby do have twelve kids, then it's a good starter home."

"You have the advantage that Tony didn't in that this house has been updated."

"Unless you really hate the tile or backsplash or flooring, this house is move-in ready."

Gibbs looked at Tim seriously. "Do you really want to move into the same neighborhood as us? Don't you get enough of us at work?"

"But we're always here. And as the kids come, they can go to the same schools and really grow up together."

"We love this neighborhood, Boss. We just never thought we would find a house we could afford."

"Well, that part is none of my business. It's your call. But if you think it's a good buy and it's what you want and you can swing it, go for it. This house will go fast."

"Thanks, Boss!" Tim beamed. "Abby?" Abby had let Tim and Gibbs do their thing, only taking Karina back when he went up into the attic and crawled around looking at the electrical and plumbing.

She handed Karina back to Gibbs and he walked a little bit away with her, and put her back into her stroller, giving her Bobo. "Are you being a good girl?"

Karina smiled and clapped. "I'll just bet you are, Kar-Lee." He mimicked her attempt to say her name.

"Kar-Lee." She said, laughing. "Did you give yourself a nickname all by yourself?" She grinned.

Tim took hold of both of her hands. "Ok, you saw both houses. If money wasn't a factor, which house would you choose?" Abby immediately pointed to the smaller house.

Tim smiled. "Are you sure?" Abby nodded emphatically.

"Ok. Ms. Cummings. How do we proceed? We would like to see about making an offer on this house."

She beamed. "I knew you would like this house better." She pulled out a card.

"We can write out a contract right now, indicating that you have yet to be approved for a mortgage."

"I'll be honest. If there are multiple contracts placed on this home and the potential buyers are already mortgage approved, they could put you in the 'no' file right off the bat."

"Would a check for a large down payment help our case?" Tim asked nonchalantly. Ms. Cumming looked surprised.

"I guess that depends on how large of a down payment you are talking about, but yes, having the funds ready to hand over would put you strongly in the running."

"I am assuming you are not represented by another realtor on your behalf."

Tim frowned. "No, is that a problem?"

She shook her head. "It makes no difference, only that you will have to do all the leg work yourself."

"I can't advise you on your offer, as it is a conflict of interest. I represent the seller."

"I can give you the name of who we use for mortgage loan approvals and he can get the ball rolling. Excuse me for a moment." She turned away and took out her phone.

Tim and Abby looked at each other. "Are we really going to try to do this?"

Abby looked at Tim. "You know how I feel. But you have to be 100% sure."

Tim looked back at the house, then over at Gibbs playing with Karina, then imagined Tony and Ziva's place the next block over.

It _was_ absurd for them all to live within walking distance of each other. But they _were_ family, not just co-workers.

Ms. Cummings interrupted them. "Excuse me: do you have an email address? John Andrews, our financial genius can send you all the paperwork you need to get started."

"He works 24/7, whether banking institutions do or not." Tim took the phone and spoke with Mr. Andrews and gave him his home email and work email addresses.

He hand the phone back to the realtor, who spoke briefly to him for another minute than hung up.

"Ok, that's done. Let's write up a contract so I can present something to the owners so they will be aware of your interest, the sooner the better."

Gibbs came up with Karina. "Do you want me to take Karina while you take care of all this?" Abby thought for a second.

"No, we're supposed to be parents this weekend, so we shouldn't shirk our responsibility."

Gibbs chuckled. "Well, that's very noble of you, Abby. But I can guarantee you that if Tony and Ziva didn't already have their home, and were going house hunting? There is no way they would take Karina."

Abby shook her head. "Nope. We said we would take care of her this weekend, and that's what we're going to do."

Gibbs shrugged. "Ok." He bent down and gave Karina a kiss on her head.

"See you later, princess." He headed off back home. "Good luck!" He called out behind him.

They all went back inside and sat at the dining room table. Ms. Cummings handed Tim and Abby the contract offer to purchase the house.

"This is really a worksheet to begin with. What I have here is the asking price of the house."

"What you need to decide is if you want to accept the full asking price, or offer to buy the house at a lower price and hope the sellers will accept the lower price."

"There are also things like closing costs and home inspection that can be put in the contract offer."

"The asking price is $375,000.00, which in this neighborhood is a steal, but don't take my advice on anything."

"The only thing I will share with you is that this house just went on the market, so there are no offers on the table."

"That could change by tomorrow, so you will want to put in the best offer you are comfortable with, and do it right away."

"What do you think, Abby?" Tim looked at her.

"Well, I think no one should ever offer full price on the first contract, so I say we offer $360,000.00 plus owner pays closing costs. We'll pay for the inspection."

"Alright," Ms. Cummings was writing down the figures. "If I may ask, what was the amount of the check you are willing to attach to this offer as a sign that you really want this house?"

Without batting an eye, Tim answered. "$175,000.00."

Both Abby and Ms. Cummings gasped. "What?" Abby asked.

Tim just smiled. Abby looked at Karina. "Did you know about this?"

Karina shook her head and said something unintelligible. "I'm with you, little girl." Abby said.

"Ok, let me call the owners, to give them an idea of what we're looking at; keeping in mind you that have not yet been approved for a mortgage. But if you can put almost 50% down…" She didn't finish.

She went outside. She was back less than ten minutes later. "Ok, the owners are quite excited, but have come back with a counter offer:"

"$370, 000.00 and they will pay closing costs and inspection, pending mortgage approval. They will accept this offer and not consider any other offer until your mortgage approval process has been completed."

Tim looked at Abby. It was still $5,000.00 less than the asking price, although that is a drop in the bucket in the scheme of things. He knew by the smile on her face what she thought.

"Deal!" Tim said.

"Wonderful! Now let's get you started on the mortgage approval as soon as possible."

"That check is going to have to be a cashier's check, so you may have to wait until Monday before you can get those funds."

"But in the meantime, you can start sending your salary information and debt situation so the best mortgage opportunity can be offered. Are either of you military?"

They both shook their heads. "We work for the Navy, but as civilian employees."

"Hmm, but you are first-time home buyers?" They both nodded at that.

"Look at all the fine print on the application and check as many items as you can that may give you a break on approval or rate."

"I will call the homeowners and tell them you have accepted their counter, and now all we have to do is wait through the mortgage process."

"_Yeah,"_ Tim thought to himself. _"That's all."_

They all shook hands and the three headed back to Tony's and Ziva's.

Tim immediately let the dogs out, knowing they were probably agitated at being dumped off so unceremoniously.

Abby went upstairs with Karina and changed her diaper, then put her in a cooler and more comfortable onesie.

By the time she came back down stairs, Tim had made some lunch for the both of them, and got out some baby food for Karina.

"Our little girl must be starving! I know I am!" Abby said. She fed Karina and took bites of her own sandwich when she had a free hand.

When they were done, Tim and Abby looked at each other. "Did we just buy a house?"

They both started laughing. "I can't believe what just transpired."

Karina yawned. "I'm with you, kiddo." Abby said. She looked at her watch. "It's already two o'clock."

She got a small bottle of milk for Karina and only slightly warmed it to take the chill off. Tim laid a blanket on the floor and sprawled out on it.

Abby giggled, and put Karina between them and lay down as well. Not to miss out on the fun, both dogs joined them; Jethro lying next to Tim, and Bridget lying next to Abby.

Before they knew it, they were all asleep.

**Gibbs and Mimi's Home**

"They're doing what? Mimi couldn't believe what Jethro had just told her.

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He took her out onto the deck and looked past his back yard. "It's the one over there."

They both walked to the end of the property. The houses were off-centered, so one half of two different homes backed up to their house.

Gibbs looked surprised. "I think it's this one that's right up next to us."

Mimi looked it over. "It looks cute. If this _is_ the house, you know what you're going to have to do, right?

Gibbs nodded, already envisioning how he was going to design and build the gate that would link the two properties.He looked at his watch.

"It's been two hours. Let's take a walk over and see what's really happening over there." Mimi's eyes twinkled. "You are so bad."

"Sorry, Bailey. Not this time. Big strange dog; may eat you." Mimi told Bailey as he sadly watched them leave without him.

Holding hands, they made their way over to the DiNozzo home. Gibbs started to ring the doorbell, but looking inside the front window, something caught his eye.

He turned the door knob and sure enough, it was not locked. "What…" Mimi started to ask, but he put his finger on her lips.

They quietly entered the foyer and made their way to the family room. There on the floor, they found Tim and Abby on their sides, sound asleep.

Karina was asleep between them, on her tummy; holding onto Tim's finger; and Abby's hand on her bottom.

On either side of them, the two dogs were on their backs, legs limp, snoring. Mimi stifled a giggle.

Silently, she took out her phone and took several pictures. She also took some video so the snoring could be heard.

Just as quietly as they came in, Gibbs and Mimi retraced their steps. This time, Gibbs locked the front door.

_**Thank you, thank you for the great reviews. I love this story, and I love writing it. I'm glad you are enjoying it as much as I am.**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**They quietly entered the foyer and made their way to the family room. There on the floor, they found Tim and Abby on their sides, sound asleep.**_

_**Karina was asleep between them, on her tummy; holding onto Tim's finger; and Abby's hand on her bottom.**_

_**On either side of them, the two dogs were on their backs, legs limp, snoring. Mimi stifled a giggle.**_

_**Silently, she took out her phone and took several pictures. She also took some video so the snoring could be heard.**_

_**Just as quietly as they came in, Gibbs and Mimi retraced their steps. This time, Gibbs locked the front door.**_

_**Usual denials: I am in denial that I have anything to do with CBS or any of its affiliates; NCIS or any of its characters or storylines.**_

Chapter Twenty: "Sharing"

Tim woke up with a start. He smiled as he saw Abby and Karina sleeping beside him on the floor.

The dogs had already woken up and had taken their posts at the windows, watching for evil squirrels and birds.

He roused Abby, hating to wake her up, but he knew she would be up all night otherwise. She stretched and looked at Karina and smiled. "Did we all just take a nap together?"

Tim kissed her softly. "That's how it's going to be when we have our home and our own kids."

"Which reminds me: I better check my email for those forms from the financial guy."

Tim reluctantly left their make-shift "bed" and turned on his lap top. He quickly opened his email and located the message sent by John Andrews.

He downloaded and saved all the attachments he sent, so he could print them off and read them carefully.

When he was done doing that, he noticed an email sent from Mimi. "Hey, Mimi sent us an email. I wonder what that's about?" He noted it was also sent to Tony and Ziva.

For a brief moment, he panicked and thought somehow Mimi found out about the doggy door incident.

But that made absolutely no sense, and Mimi was not a mean person, so why would she tell Tony and Ziva about it?

In the three seconds these thoughts went through his mind, Abby had made her way over to Tim.

Seeing the baby still asleep on the blanket, the dogs took their new positions beside her.

Tim opened up the email. The message was short. "Thought you might enjoy this; Love, Mimi and Jethro." There were two attachments: one photo and one video.

"Let's look at the picture first." Abby suggested. Tim clicked on the attachment and waited for the picture to download.

"Oh…my…God." That was all Tim could get out. Mimi had sent out one of the pictures she had taken of all of them asleep on the floor.

"How?" Tim and Abby looked at each other. Abby started to snicker quietly, not wanting to wake up Karina. "Well, it was an eventful day. Guess it took a lot out of all of us."

Tim had to grin at the picture as well. It was actually pretty hilarious looking, the dogs especially. But he thought he and Abby and Karina looked sweet.

"So what do you think the video is?" Tim looked at Abby, half-amused, half-alarmed.

Abby paled. "Oh, I hope we didn't do anything embarrassing while they were here."

"Like what? Me grabbing your breast or something? Mimi would never send that out."

Tim took deep breath and opened up the video. They were treated to the same scene, only this time the snores of the dogs filled the room.

At that, they both broke out laughing. This woke up Karina, who started crying. "Oh, dear." Abby said.

"Hi, Punkin'. Did noisy Uncle Timmy wake you up? Let's go upstairs and check your diaper and get you a chance to wake up, okeydokey?" Abby scooped up the baby and took her upstairs.

Tim listened for a while and didn't hear any more crying. Whatever she was doing, there was no doubt in his mind that Abby had some sort of magic when it came to babies.

While he was printing out the mortgage paperwork, he gave Mimi a call.

"Oh, Hi Tim!" Mimi answered sweetly.

"How did you do it?" He laughed. He could hear Gibbs in the background saying "put that thing on speaker or loud or whatever it is you do."

"Can you hear me, McGee?" Gibbs asked.

"Sure can." Tim replied.

"Well, when you leave the front door unlocked, you are leaving yourself as fair game to anyone who might drop by. So let that be a lesson to you."

"You never lock your front door." Tim countered.

"He's got you there, Jethro." Tim could just hear grumbling in the background.

"Look, we know you guys are all hell-bent on this being a 'you and Karina' weekend, but can't you come over for a bit tomorrow afternoon?" Mimi asked.

"Lily is feeling much better and didn't get a chance to really see her last weekend."

"Besides, we miss her too." Mimi added. "Being a parent doesn't mean you don't get to see your friends and family anymore."

"We promise not to take over your 'duties' if that's what you are worried about."

Tim smiled. He actually didn't realize how isolated he felt until Gibbs showed up at the house to check it out.

"Ok, I will talk Abby into it. Besides, I'm sure she will want to see Lily. Around 2 pm? Ok, see you then."

"See _who_ then?" Abby had just come downstairs with Karina and caught the tail end of his conversation.

"We're going to visit Lily tomorrow, since she is feeling better and didn't get to see much of Karina last weekend."

"That is part of parenting too, Abby; sharing your kids with the family."

"I'm not arguing. In fact, I think it's a great idea. I can't wait to see Lily. I miss our talks."

Abby handed Karina over to Tim. "I think her gums are bothering her. I'm going to go get one of her teething rings, and then sit outside with her."

"I guess you'll want to start pouring over those mortgage documents."

Tim nodded. He held Karina and kissed her. "Are your gums hurting, little ninja?"

"Aunt Abby will make you feel better real soon." She laid her head against his neck.

He couldn't believe the emotions this little baby was making him feel. He hoped for both of their sakes that Abby got pregnant sooner rather than later.

It certainly wouldn't be for lack of trying, he smiled to himself. The first night, he felt weird him and Abby making love in Tony and Ziva's home.

But then he just thought of it as a hotel room, and got over it. And over it, and over it.

"Ok, baby doll, come to Aunt Abby. Yeah, that feels better already, doesn't it?"

She headed out to the deck, letting the dogs go before her so they wouldn't knock her over in their mad dash to get outside.

Tim reluctantly turned his attention to the mortgage documents. Ms. Cummings wasn't kidding.

There was so much small print and hidden details; that he wasn't sure at all what he was reading.

Fortunately, because of his writing, he had a lawyer. Hating to disturb him on a Saturday, he nonetheless made the call.

"Hi Steve, it's Tim. We're doing great! How are you and the family?" Tim smiled.

"Well, I'm calling because I need your help. No, not with the book; at least not this time. Abby and I are buying a house. Yes, you heard me."

"I have the mortgage application papers here in front of me, and I admit it; I am totally lost and out of my league here." Tim listened to what his lawyer was saying.

"What? Sure, I can send them to you in an email. You know more about my finances than I do."

"I'll have to get you Abby's last W-2 and whatever else they need from her."

"Are you sure? I hate to take up your weekend. Well, then great. And yes, I know. I'll get the bill. Thanks Steve. Bye."

Tim hung up and immediately sent all of the forms he had received from the lender to his lawyer. Once that was done, he leaned back in the chair and breathed a sigh of relief.

He got up and joined Abby outside. "Wow. That was fast." Abby commented.

Tim shook his head. "No, it was way too much for me. I sent everything to my lawyer to look over and figure out what we need."

"We'll need your last W-2 and probably some current paystubs to show that you are gainfully employed." Tim added.

"Timmy, do you really have $175,000.00 to put down on this house?"

Tim looked at her in surprise. "Do you think I would make that up?"

"No, of'course not. I was just so surprised, that's all." Tim put his arm around Abby.

"Despite my losses from those bad investments, I still have quite a bit of money left over from my books, plus I continue to receive royalties each time it goes into another printing."

"I also have some money Penny gave me when I graduated from MIT. I pretty much socked it away and forgot about it, but it wasn't a trifling amount at the time, and it's grown quite a bit."

"However, I think I may need to get cracking on the next book. I want to replenish what I spend."

"And I want to be able to buy nice things for my wife-to-be."

Abby faced him. "You know that's not what I'm about. I could care less about the money, except that we can get a house, and send our children to college.

"I fully expect our children to be brilliant and to receive full scholarships to wherever they wish to go." Tim smiled at her insistence, and kissed her. "I love you." He said.

"I love you, too." Abby responded, returning the kiss. Karina placed her hands on both of their faces and brought them together again for a kiss.

"You little romantic!" Abby held her up and kissed her belly. The teething ring had helped and she was feeling better.

**Martha's Vineyard**

Tony and Ziva were just about to head to their private beach, when the laptop dinged, indicating a new email had been received.

Tony opened it up and burst out laughing. Ziva immediately rushed to his side, knowing it had to involve their daughter.

"Oh, that is so sweet! Look how Karina is holding McGee's finger. And the dogs, that is so funny!"

"They look exhausted, but looks like everything's good. So I guess so far our little experiment is working. Oh wait, there's also a video." Tony opened the video to the dog's snoring.

This time Ziva lost it as well. "And you complain about my snoring! It is the dog's snoring yes, and not Abby and McGee?"

Tony grinned at that. "I guess we'll have to clarify that with Mimi, who I am sure took this and not Gibbs."

"I wonder that they had been doing all day to wipe them out like this?"

Tony shut down the computer and then turned to admire his wife. "You look great!" He said; touching her hip where the string to the bikini was tied.

He felt her tummy. "And there may be just a little hint of our little one here." He bent over to kiss it.

"But if you weren't looking for it, you would never know." He kissed Ziva, with a little bit more passion than she expected.

"No, I am going to enjoy our beach and read for a while. You can come with me or stay here."

"Do not try to distract me with…your amazing kisses." She kissed him back.

Tony smiled. "I'm with you, my lovely gun-wielding wife. Lead me to the beach!" They grabbed their gear, and took the steps that led to their private area.

Tony put down a huge beach blanket and set up their chairs and an umbrella at the edge.

Ziva settled herself in, her book already open, her iPod attached to her ears.

Tony sat down in the chair beside her, and pulled out an iced tea. If he was still in his bachelor days, the beer would have made an appearance as soon as the clock struck twelve.

After Jenny's death, he had begun to drink heavily, which had not gone unnoticed by Ziva.

After being assigned as the Agent Afloat, he realized that he really had no desire to become a full-blown alcoholic. Only then had he started to cut back.

But once Ziva became pregnant and then the explosion and getting married, Tony knew everything wasn't just about him anymore. He had a family he was responsible for.

He didn't become a total abstainer; he still enjoyed the occasional beer and wine and they all drank until they couldn't stand after the first anniversary of the bombing.

But he no longer drank just because he was sitting there and could have a nice cold beer in his hand.

He watched the water, the waves gentle and sparkling with the sun. He looked over at Ziva, already engrossed in her book.

"_Life just doesn't get any better than this."_ He thought to himself. He had briefly considered letting his Dad know that they would be at the house, in case he was free to visit.

But he really wanted to spend this time with Ziva. They hadn't been alone since their honeymoon, at least overnight.

Tony considered himself the luckiest man alive. He had the most amazing woman at this side, a beautiful little girl and another child on the way, this wonderful legacy his mother had left him…

Tony was not a snob about the money. He knew if he felt like it, neither he nor Ziva needed to ever work again.

But he had a strong work ethic and never liked the jet-setter life his father lived. He had experienced far too much of it as a child.

So he was happy to have these great homes his mother left him, but just as happy to share them, which reminded him of something he wanted to discuss with Ziva.

Getting her attention, she removed her earphones. "Hey, Ziva I have something I want to run by you."

Ziva carefully marked her place in her book, closed it and gave Tony her full attention. "I'm listening."

"Well, I was thinking, you know; if Gibbs and Mimi or Tim and Abby ever wanted to, they could stay at our places here or in New York; you know, as our guests."

Ziva smiled. "That's a lovely idea and very generous of you. Why are you bringing this up now? I know Tim and Abby are going to San Diego for their honeymoon."

Tony took a sip of his iced tea. "Want one?" He raised his bottle.

"Yes, please. Thank you." She replied as he handed over the bottle of green tea.

"Well, in New York, transportation won't be a problem; they can take a taxi or walk to wherever they want to go."

"But here? I hate to offer them the house, and then tell them they have to rent a car if they want to leave the house."

Ziva's mouth twitched up in a smile. "And of'course they would never be allowed to drive your mother's 'Classic T-Bird'." Ziva only knew to say that because Tony referred to the car that way about, oh a hundred times.

Tony grimaced. "Do you think that makes me selfish, or worse, an ass?"

"No, Tony. I do not blame you. I do not feel comfortable driving that car. So what is your solution?"

"I was thinking of getting a second car, just for routine driving around, that we could leave here."

"That way, if any of them took us up on an offer to use the place they wouldn't have to worry about getting around."

Ziva got up and sat on Tony's lap. "You are the most thoughtful person I know." She kissed him softly on his lips. "When are you planning to buy this car?"

"Hopefully, sometime before we leave. If not, I can get my lawyer to take care of it."

"It's a three-car garage, plus there's the carport. Any renter's with more than one car will need to keep their extra car under the carport. Our cars stay covered under tarps in the garage."

"Ok." Ziva said. She pulled him up. "Let us walk on the beach, my love." Taking his hand, she led Tony down toward the water.

They walked quietly for a while, the water too cold to actually go swimming, but ok to occasionally dip their toes. Tony bent down and picked up a starfish.

He showed it to Ziva. "For Karina's room." Ziva smiled. "Growing up in Israel, we were lucky that we lived near Haifa, which is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, but that was when I was a child."

"Once I became Mossad, all I ever saw was desert, even though Tel Aviv is also on the coast. Other than work, I do not think I have ever spent any time by the water, as an adult; and never for enjoyment."

Tony pulled her into his arms. "Well, I certainly hope you are 'enjoying' this now." Ziva looked into his eyes, then at his mouth.

"Oh, yes. I am enjoying this, most definitely." She kissed her husband, making a promise of things to come.

They continued their walk down the beach, hands entwined.

_**For those of you missing Tony and Ziva. Not sure if we'll see them again until they get back or not. The writing takes care of itself. Thanks for the great reviews as always. You're the best!**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**He showed it to Ziva. "For Karina's room." Ziva smiled. "Growing up in Israel, we were lucky that we lived near Haifa, which is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, but that was when I was a child."**_

"_**Once I became Mossad, all I ever saw was desert, even though Tel Aviv is also on the coast. Other than work, I do not think I have ever spent any time by the water, as an adult; and never for enjoyment."**_

_**Tony pulled her into his arms. "Well, I certainly hope you are 'enjoying' this now." Ziva looked into his eyes, then at his mouth. **_

"_**Oh, yes. I am enjoying this, most definitely." She kissed her husband, making a promise of things to come.**_

_**They continued their walk down the beach, hands entwined.**_

Chapter Twenty-One: "Being Responsible"

**Tony and Ziva's Home- North Arlington**

Dinner went off without a hitch. Abby was pleased that Karina approved of all of their food choices for her.

She let her "feed" herself a little bit; playing with the spoon and a little portion of extra food Abby put in her bowl.

Karina didn't do too badly of a job. She actually got quite a bit of the food in her mouth. But also in her hair; and in her nose and ears.

Abby just giggled at her. "Tim, come look at the mess your niece made." Tim had been on the deck throwing balls for the dogs.

He came back in and took one look at Karina. "Abby, why did you let her do that? How are we going to clean her up?"

"That, my dear Timothy, as Ducky would say, is what a bath is for." She got a wet cloth and wiped off as much as she could, which was quite a bit.

"OK, you get bath duty tonight." Tim's eyes bugged out. "Me? I thought…"

"You thought that I would always bathe and you would watch, offering moral support?"

"When we have a baby, you may be alone one night for some reason and have to do all of this stuff by yourself. No better time to learn."

"Wait, why would you be gone overnight?" Tim looked worried.

Abby looked at him. "Tim, I was speaking hypothetically. And I didn't say 'overnight', I said 'one night,' which could mean me staying late at work, or going out with the girls."

"No, go on; pick up you niece and take her upstairs for her bath. I will be there; for moral support." Abby grinned.

Tim looked at Abby like she was abandoning him, and did as he was told. Abby followed him upstairs to the hall bath. He turned to her.

"Well, at least we can do what we did last time, just in reverse." He handed her Karina and went about looking at the list of what was needed for the all-important bath.

Once he was done, he took Karina away from Abby. "OK, so now _you_ double check to make sure _I _didn't miss anything."

"Good teamwork, Tim!" Abby was laughing. She looked over everything, checking it with the list. "Looks good. I will put the water in her tub."

"You can start undressing her; and remove her diaper."

Tim looked at Abby at that, scared. "Oh, come on. We've already seen it at its worst. Go on…"

Tim struggled to get the clothes off of the wiggling baby, but managed to get her down to her diaper. "Ok, Karina. You know what comes next."

She grinned at Tim and said "poo-poo." "Oh, God. I hope not. Thanks, Karina." She giggled.

He gently laid her in the tub and carefully undid one side of her diaper. Although the smell indicated Karina correctly identified what he would find, it was nothing compared to the diaper last night.

"Baby wipe!" Tim held out his hand, keeping his hand on Karina's tummy and watching her.

Wipe in hand, he mimicked what Abby did by using the clean part of the diaper to clean her off as much as possible, then used the wipe to finish the job.

He closed up the diaper and put it aside. Picking up Karina, he and Abby switched places and he sat her in the tub.

Karina was already ready to play. Tim put some bubble bath in the water and Abby swished it around to make the bubbles. He put some baby wash on the wash cloth and began to bathe her.

Karina was very co-operative; even helping out by trying to take the washcloth and wiped it against her tummy.

Tim looked surprised. "Well, aren't you a big girl, washing herself!" He kept a hand on her at all times. He next tried the shampoo and used a little bit too much.

Fortunately, it was a "no tears" brand, so it didn't matter when it started dripping down Karina's face. She just laughed and touched her face, then touched her hands to Tim's face.

"Thank you, Karina. I really needed someone to wash my face." Satisfied she was clean; the only thing left was to rinse her off.

He lifted her up and dumped the small tub quickly with one hand. He then sat her back down and got the hand spray ready. Satisfied with the temperature, he turned it on a gentle flow and let the water flow over the baby.

She clapped her hands, and slapped at the water coming from the hand spray. She loved having the spray go over her hair, rinsing the shampoo out.

"Ok," Tim said, "I think we are rinsed. Towel please."

Grinning, Abby handed Tim the hooded towel. He scooped up Karina and wrapped her in the towel. He rubbed her dry as he was taking her into her room.

Putting her in the crib, he finished drying her off. "You did great, Timmy. I can take over from here."

"Nope." Tim said. "Just like you said; I may be alone one night and have to do this all by myself, so I may as well finish the job."

Abby smiled and handed him the diaper. Tim put the new diaper on, a definite improvement over his first try. He then picked Karina up and went over to her dresser.

"What do you think? Pink stripes or orange flowers? You're right; I think the orange one is a little too bright. Pink stripes it is."

He went back to the crib and proceeded to put her onesie on. "Ok, cutie. Let's go downstairs and warm you up a bottle." He walked past Abby and took Karina with him to the kitchen.

He pulled out a small bottle of milk and warmed it up. Karina was already tired and had her head on Tim's shoulder. "Ready for you bottle? I thought so!"

He took her back to her room, sat in the rocker and offered her the bottle. She took it willingly, holding onto his hands this time instead of the bottle.

"You were such a good girl today, Karina. Didn't we have fun today? I know I did." Karina watched Tim's face as he talked to her. Before he knew it, she was asleep.

He gently picked her up to burp her and was awarded soon thereafter. He got up, laid her in her crib, covered her up with Bobo by her hand, made sure the nightlight was on and left the room.

Abby had been waiting out in the hall for him. As soon as he came out of her room and slightly closed the door, she was in his arms.

"I can't believe you just did all that, all by yourself. You are totally amazing and I am so proud of you." She kissed him passionately.

"Whoa, maybe I should do this tomorrow night too, huh?" Tim gladly responded in kind. Abby giggled and taking his hand, led him into the guest room.

**Sunday, August 25, 2013**

Tim and Abby woke once again to the sounds of Karina, babbling away. They decided to lie in bed and listen to her for a while.

Every so often, something recognizable would reach their ears: Mama, Dada, Bobo, Papa, Boo-boo, Bah Bah, poo-poo, Momo, Li-Li. Be-Be, Gee-Gee and Kar-Lee to name a few.

Abby grabbed Tim's arm. "Tim, I think Be-Be and Gee-Gee are you and me. Ab-Bee, Mc-GEE?" She was trembling with excitement.

Tim had his arm around her. "Maybe." He didn't want to say that Be-Be could be her attempt at saying Bailey's or Bridget's name, who she saw far more often than either of them.

Or Be-Be was Bailey and Gee-Gee was Bridget. He didn't want to burst her happy bubble, so kept those thoughts to himself.

Groaning, he pulled himself up. "I know she sounds happy, but I'd rather interrupt her happiness than try to soothe her tantrum."

"Good thought, Tim!" Abby bounded out of bed and ran into Karina's room. "Good morning sweet little girl!" Tim shook his head. He could hear Karina laughing and clapping and, he was sure, she said "Be-Be."

Maybe Abby was right, and those were her names for them. He caught up with her as quickly as he could get in there.

Tim walked up to her, covering his eyes, then uncovering them and saying "peek-a-boo!" Karina squealed with laughter and sure enough, said "Gee-Gee."

Abby beamed at him. "I told you so!" She smirked. She let Tim change her diaper and get her dressed while she went downstairs and started breakfast.

Tim's confidence had returned and he felt like he was an actual father. He felt a pang of disappointed for when they would have to turn her back over to Tony and Ziva.

Maybe they could get Jimmy and Breena to go out, at least overnight, so they would have experience with a relative newborn.

Breakfast was again an easy affair, with Abby allowing Karina to play with feeding herself. This time however, the doggy door was locked.

Abby tried again washing the dishes with Karina on the floor, playing with her "drums." Once again, she took off, but this time she ended up in the family room, having found one of her toys, she was quietly playing with it.

The dogs came in from outside and ran to her and bowled her over. Abby waited for her to cry, but she just laughed and started crawling on them.

Breathing a big sigh of relief, she went and got Karina. "Ok, sweetie. Let's go wash your hands and face and go sit outside for a while and enjoy the fresh air.

Tim had heard back from his lawyer and was reading over the documents at the dining room table.

"Don't forget to take a breather; we're going to Gibbs' later. I don't want you to be worn out or stressed out." Abby lectured him.''

"Tim smiled at her. "I'm fine. He actually broke it down into understandable sections for me, so it makes some sense."

Abby stared him down, and then went outside with Karina. They sat on the slider together, Abby rocking it gently.

"You just wait! Grandpa is going to build you a great play set just like he has in his backyard. And when Uncle Timmy and I have children, he's going to build one for us too."

Karina clapped and babbled. After a while, she came back in. "Timmy, can you set up Karina's playpen? I need to do laundry, and even when we have our own kids, sometimes they are going to have to entertain themselves."

"Sure, Abby." Tim got up and set up the play pen so it was near him.

At first Karina started fussing when Abby put her in it, but she watched as she went upstairs and came back down with a basket of laundry.

This looked familiar, so she contented herself with her toys and played for a while. She would occasionally babble at Tim, who would answer her and keep up the conversation.

The dogs laid by her so she could "talk" to them when Uncle Timmy wasn't answering appropriately.

While Abby was doing the laundry, she also cleaned the bathroom and straightened up Karina's room, not that it was messy, just making sure everything was put away.

When they left in the morning, they would not be back to clean up after themselves, so she wanted to get as much done as she could while she had the time.

On one of her trips up and down, she stopped and gave Karina a bottle of juice and a teething cookie. Karina was quite pleased with this and lay down in her play pen to suck on the bottle.

**Martha's Vineyard**

Somehow, Tony had talked himself into going to morning Mass and Ziva agreed to go him. She was slightly shocked, since he never practiced at home.

"Just reliving some happy memories." He answered her questioning look. She looked surprised at that. "You found going to Mass happy?"

Tony had to laugh at that. "No, but it was actually one of the few things we did as a family. Can you imagine my Dad going to Mass?"

Tony looked at the stained glass. "For an hour, we were one, whether it was with God, or each other, it doesn't matter. I had forgotten about it, until I saw the church again."

"Do you want to start going back to church? Do you think we need to go as a family, whether to Mass or Synagogue? We can teach our children both of our Faiths." Ziva asked, tentatively.

"I definitely want our children to be baptized, or whatever they do in the Jewish faith. I don't know, maybe I'm just letting my memories overwhelm me right now." Tony shrugged.

Ziva leaned against him. "I always went to Synagogue when I was a child. I had my Bat Mitzvah and was always involved. It was only when I became Mossad that I stopped."

Tony looked at her. "I stopped because I felt unworthy to sit in such a sacred place. My Father, naturally, felt no such contradiction and still goes today, unless that has recently changed."

Now, that was something Tony never expected. And yet again, he wasn't surprised. Men who believe they to be great always felt they had a personal and special relationship with God, or Jehovah, or Allah or whatever Faith you believed in.

"And if we have a son, I would want to have the Bris." Ziva whispered.

"A what?" Tony whispered back. Ziva hid back a smile. "Later."

After the Mass, they walked around the town a little bit, window shopping, enjoying their last day of "vacation." Tony had gone into town late yesterday afternoon to look at the one local auto dealer.

He and Ziva walked in that direction so he could show her the car he was considering. He wouldn't dream of buying it without her approval.

As far as he was concerned, whatever he had inherited from his mother was hers as well, and that included all of the money. He had already given her the jewelry that was not in a safe deposit box because of the value.

He couldn't wait to show her that she actually owned a tiara; courtesy of his mother's grandparent's titles. Maybe when they took that trip to Great Britain…

They finally reached the dealership. Being Sunday, it was closed, but the property was not fenced and locked up. Tony led her through the used cars and ended up at the car he was interested in.

It was a silver Mercedes 2009 CLS500 4-door sedan. Ziva raised her eyebrows? "A Mercedes?"

Tony held out his hands. "It's Martha's Vineyard. All they sell are Mercedes, and Lamborghini's and Jaguar's. At least I picked out a used car."

Ziva smiled. She looked at the car, trying to look inside as much as she could through the windows. "So, have you already bought the car and this is a formality?"

Tony looked hurt. "Hell no. I wouldn't buy this without your approval. We're a team remember? The only time I will spend a large amount of money without consulting you is if I am spending it on you."

Ziva kissed him to take away the sting of her comment. "I am sorry. I know you would not act without at least consulting me. Thank you for showing it to me."

"How are you going to buy this, since we are leaving early tomorrow morning?" Ziva asked.

"I gave the owner my card and told him I would call him tomorrow if we were going to buy the car. He is holding it until he hears from me one way or the other."

"I wish you had the chance to drive it. It rides real nice."

"Remind me again why I was not with you when you went car hunting?"

"Uh, something about you wanting to take a bubble bath and paint your toenails or something? I invited you; you declined." Tony smiled.

"Oh, yes. My toenails. For some reason that was more important than buying a car. Silly me." Tony grinned and put his arm around her.

"So, what's your pleasure? Yes or no?" Ziva looked at the car. "I will defer to you on this decision since you have seen more of the car than I have. If you like it and think it is a good deal then go ahead."

"Ok, buy it is. I will call tomorrow and get it taken care of. I will also call the holding company to close up the house and put the car in the garage with the T-Bird and cover it up as well."

"You know, when I was a kid, all of this stuff was just here. I went from one house to the other.

"Now, having to actually be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep, it is a little overwhelming. Thank goodness you are with me, to keep me grounded."

Ziva held his hand and caressed it. "I cannot imagine being anywhere but with you. I have to pinch myself to remind myself how blessed my life is."

"I never imagined being married and having children; much less finding my soul-mate. I am the luckiest woman in the world."

Tony pulled her into his arms. "All these years, and you have always been there, even when things were not so good. I am the 'lucky' one."

Still holding hands, they walked back to the town square, and bade their farewell to this town that had now become another home to them.

_**How many times can I say thank you are still make it sound sincere? You guys keep me going. Next chapter is at the Gibbs' household.**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**Ziva held his hand and caressed it. "I cannot imagine being anywhere but with you. I have to pinch myself to remind myself how blessed my life is."**_

"_**I never imagined being married and having children; much less finding my soul-mate. I am the luckiest woman in the world."**_

_**Tony pulled her into his arms. "All these years, and you have always been there, even when things were not so good. "I am the lucky one."**_

_**Still holding hands, they walked back to the town square, and bade their farewell to this town that had now become another home to them.**_

Chapter Twenty-Two: "Time for Pie"

**Gibbs's and Mimi's Home-North Arlington**

It was almost two p.m. Lily was downstairs sitting at the dining room table, looking over her fall classes again.

She had decided to drop two classes, but couldn't decide which ones. She was glad she would see Abby today. She could give her some advice.

Mimi had finished straightening up the family room, made a couple of pitchers of iced tea, and had some small popsicles for Karina.

She and Gibbs had talked and decided not to say anything to Lily about the house Tim and Abby were looking at. It was not their place to say anything, and if the sale should fall through, they would feel terrible.

If, on the other hand, they brought it up today themselves, well then all bets were off.

Gibbs had cut the grass in the back yard the day before so it looked nice. He had a plan that he knew Ziva wouldn't like and hoped Tim and Abby wouldn't give him grief over.

He did this with Kelly when she was Karina's age, and he wanted to share this with his granddaughter.

"They're here!" Gibbs heard Lily's voice. Grinning, he headed back in to the house.

"Hi!" Abby squealed, running to the table to give Lily a big hug. "You look so much better!" By this time, Tim had taken Karina out of the stroller. Gibbs went and brought it in from the porch.

Mimi went over to Tim. "There's our big girl!" Karina's eyes lit up and she held out her arms. "Momo!" This time, Mimi smiled and covered the baby in kisses, making her giggle.

"Hi Kar-Lee." Gibbs gave her cheek a big kiss. "Kar-Lee?" Mimi and Lily both asked at the same time.

Karina patted Gibbs' cheek saying "Papa, papa" and laughing. Gibbs looked at them. "It would appear our little girl here has given herself a nickname."

"I don't know how Tony and Ziva feel about it. They may not want to use it, but I think it's cute she named herself."

"When did that happen?" Mimi asked, curious, since she wasn't sure how Karina knew her middle name.

Gibbs looked at Tim and Abby. "When did you do that video picture call thing on your laptop, to you know who?"

Tim smiled. "That was Friday night. 'THEY' said goodnight Karina Lee and she pipe up with 'Kar-Lee.' They both caught it, saying it was the first time she tried to say her name."

"She has names for us as well!" Abby beamed. Gibbs looked at her. "Really?"

"Yep. Timmy didn't believe me at first; he just thought Karina was babbling nonsense. But when we went in to get her up this morning, we went in separately and she greeted each of us with our names."

"Which are what?" Lily asked, excited.

"I am Be-Be and Timmy is Gee-Gee." They all laughed at that. Not wanting to be left out, Karina laughed and clapped as well.

Bailey had been nosing around Tim and Abby and Karina's stroller. He looked out the front porch screen, then looked at Gibbs, and barked.

"Sorry Bailey." Abby knelt by him. "Bridget had to stay home today." Bailey kissed her.

"We couldn't bring her and leave Jethro, it wouldn't be fair." She explained to Mimi.

"Hey, I don't think you need to apologize. But maybe we should think about a controlled meeting between them, like you did with Bridget. It would be nice if they could all be buddies."

Abby smiled. "I was thinking the same thing! We can work out the details later."

Mimi went over and sat next to Lily, so she could see Karina. "Look at my big girl!" Lily cooed. Mimi handed her over.

Lily lifted up Karina and gave her a big belly smooch, which had Karina squealing with laughter.

She brought her down to her level so she could kiss her on the cheek. "Li-Li!" Karina said. "Big kiss!" Lily said. Karina kissed Lily as asked.

"Okay, getting too crowded in here." Mimi announced. "Everyone outside. We have iced tea, we have soda."

"Since it's after noon, there is beer, since no one is driving. Or a wine cooler if that is your preference."

"I'll stay and help." Abby said. She knew what Tim would want, a beer. Normally, she would too, but since she had been trying to get pregnant she had been abstaining from alcohol.

"Ok, ice tea for you and me and Lily, beer for Tim and Jethro. Oh, and a wine cooler for Karina." Abby turned on Mimi. "You are so bad."

Mimi laughed. "Just seeing if you were paying attention. Did you bring some juice for Karina?"

Abby beamed. "I am prepared for any situation." She said proudly. Mimi started to walk out with the drinks. _"I sure hope so,"_ knowing what Jethro had planned.

Lily had given Karina back to Gibbs and hobbled her way outside to sit on the lounge chair. She still had her broken ankle elevated to reduce swelling.

Once everyone was settled, Abby asked Lily about school. "I'm so glad you asked, Abby. Because of _this_," she pointed to her ankle, "I'm going to have to drop two classes, but I'm having trouble deciding which two."

"Well, let's take a look." Abby suggested. Lily tried to get up, but Mimi stopped her. "I know where your stuff is on the table, I'll go get it."

Mimi returned less than a minute later and hand the mass of papers to Lily. "Thanks, Mom." She looked through the papers until she found the one she wanted.

"Here it is." She handed her original class schedule to Abby. Abby took it and studied it carefully.

"Are any of these classes not required?" Lily took the list back. "Well, I don't have to take this particular Physics class, and the Micro class is required, but I have already taken classes harder than this one."

Abby considered. "Maybe you can test out of the class. Why waste your time taking a class when you already know everything they're going to teach?"

Lily looked surprised. "I hadn't thought about that. I had the same professor this spring. I'll ask him if I can do that. I'm not sure what the rules are regarding some of these specialty classes."

"Well, I would definitely drop the Physics class and call your professor right away about testing out. In fact, ask him if there are any other classes you can test out on. You need to start focusing on the forensics part."

"When you get to the point where you need to do an internship or special project where you "work' with an actual agency, you know where you will be."

Lily looked at her new friend. "I can't thank you enough for everything you have done to help me. All of you." She looked around.

"Ok. Enough of that. Time to get to work." Gibbs said.

"Work?" Tim and Abby asked. They noticed that Mimi and Lily did not question his remark.

"This baby is coddled way too much. Considering the messy lives of her parents, I suppose it is not surprising."

"However, I'll be damned if my granddaughter is going to be denied the normal highlights of being a baby, or child later on for that matter."

Tim and Abby looked at each other. "Uh, Boss. What are you talking about?" Tim looked worried.

Gibbs just grinned, and started to strip Karina down to her diaper. "Gibbs what are you doing?"

Gibbs took Karina out into the yard, everyone else following. Bailey was excited, knowing everyone was about to play.

Behind the play set, Gibbs had laid down a big plastic sheet. On it was a pile of dirt. Next to the pile was the garden hose.

Without ceremony, he sat the baby down in the middle of the dirt. He turned the nozzle and a light stream of water came out of the hose.

He gently wet the dirt, creating a mud playground for Karina. While he was doing this Abby's dimples were getting bigger and bigger and the worry lines on Tim's forehead were getting deeper and deeper.

Karina at first looked confused. "She's probably thinking she's sitting in the middle of a dirty diaper." Mimi said drily. Everyone laughed at that.

"Time to make mud pies with Grandpa!" Gibbs announced. Now this was not what Abby or Tim expected.

They watched in shocked as Gibbs got on the ground with Karina and started slapping mud together and making little round circles.

Karina watched him, looking very serious. She poked her finger into one of the pies. Gibbs took her little hand and plopped a small amount of mud into it.

She looked at her hand, and then looked up at the adults who were standing there, watching. She looked back at her Grandpa, who was holding a similar amount in his hand.

She watched him pat it together between his two hands then put it next to the first "pie" he had made. She looked back at her hands and tried to mimic what Gibbs had done.

It was messy and felt funny, but Karina finished her "pie" and put it next to the others. Everyone laughed and clapped so she did too.

She quickly figured out she was supposed to grab this stuff and play with it. Before she knew it, she was covered in mud, and laughing and squealing.

No one interfered unless she tried to eat it. "I wish you had given us a head's up. I would have worn something crappy." Abby complained.

"That's why God made washing machines." Mimi commented. Abby looked at her in surprise, and then got a gleam in her eye.

Less than five second later, she was on the ground, helping Karina make mud pies. "Abby! You're ring!" Tim reminded her.

"Oh." She didn't want to take it off, but Tim was right. This mud play was no place for a diamond engagement ring. Reluctantly, she took off her ring and handed it to Tim.

"I'll put this in your wallet, in one of those zippered compartments."

"Thank you, Timmy." Abby turned back to the pie-making business.

By the end, Karina was absolutely covered, Gibbs was fairly well-covered, and Abby had a splattered face and mud in her hair. Even Bailey had gotten involved, his long Sheltie snout caked with mud.

Gibbs stood up. "This is one of the few times you get to "hose down" your kids." He smiled.

Abby held Karina upright as Gibbs gently washed the mud off of her. The water was cold, but it was a hot day, and Karina didn't seem to mind.

Gibbs got most of the mud off. He rinsed off his hands, then rinsed off Abby's. Mimi handed them both towels, then she wrapped a towel around Karina and picked her up.

"Was that fun? Did you like making mud pies with Grandpa? I think he may have enjoyed it more than you did, yes I do." Mimi was kissing Karina as she was talking to her.

Abby followed quickly. "If you have to give her a bath, I need to do that, Mimi."

Mimi looked at Abby. "Well, you can take a shower together, I guess." Abby looked down at herself, and then started laughing.

"I'm just going to sit her in the sink, give her a popsicle which will make her sticky and messy, and then wash her enough to be presentable."

Abby nodded. "I'll get the popsicle." She rummaged in the freezer. "Are these it?" Mimi nodded. Abby hand the treat to Karina.

"Yum!" Abby said. "Yum." Karina mimicked. Mimi and Abby smiled at each other. She finished her treat as expected, her face, hand and front all sticky.

Mimi removed her diaper, which was just pee, and filled the sink with warm, soapy water. Abby handed her the baby wash cloth and Mimi made sure she got all of the mud out of her ears and nose and her little baby fat folds.

The sticky popsicle was washed off as well. Mimi checked Karina's fingernails. Tsk-tsking, she asked Abby if she had the baby manicure set with her.

Abby ran to the bag and triumphantly pulled out the set. Mimi smiled and began to carefully clean under Karina's nails.

Karina put her face up and puckered her lips to give Mimi a kiss. Mimi complied and kissed her back.

"She really does love you, doesn't she?" Abby stated. Mimi looked at her in surprise. "Karina loves all of us. I do get to see her more often then you and Tim do, but that's all."

Satisfied the Karina was as clean as she could get without having an actual bath, she handed her to Abby to put on her diaper and put new clothes on her.

She turned back to cleaning up at the sink, so Abby wouldn't think she was watching or worse, judging her. Abby appreciated Mimi's stepping back, and proceeded to make Karina presentable again.

"Well, don't you look sweet? Why don't you have Tim take Karina and you can go wash that mud off of your face." Abby touched her face and laughed. She walked to the door.

"Timmy, can you come take Karina. I need to wash the mud off of me."

"Sure, Abbs, on my way." As Tim went in, Mimi came out and laughed at Gibbs.

"Well, did you have fun?" Seeing the big grin on his face, she had his answer. She walked up to him and looked behind her.

"I think Abby is worried that Karina loves me more than her." Gibbs frowned. "Why would she think that?"

"While I was washing off Karina in the sink she could see how Karina responded to me, and she made a comment that she must really love me; as in Karina loved _me_ more than _her_."

Gibbs looked concerned but not overly concerned. "Well, you told her that was silly, didn't you?"

Mimi gave Gibbs one of her stares. "Of'course I did not tell Abby she was being silly. 'Silly' is not a word I would use regarding Abby."

"What I _did _say to her was that Karina saw us a lot more than her and Tim, and was used to seeing me, that's all; it didn't mean she loved us more than anyone else."

Gibbs nodded. "Ok, well that's probably true. She _does_ see us a lot more." Mimi pushed him toward the house.

"Go clean up, you are a mess!" She smiled.

Gibbs just grinned at her and went inside.

As he was washing up at the sink, Abby came back downstairs after washing the mud off of her face. Gibbs looked at her. "Hey, Abbs! Did you have fun? I think Karina did."

Abby put her arms around him from behind. "I think _Grandpa_ had the best time of all." Gibbs chuckled.

"So, should we keep this from Tony and Ziva?" Gibbs thought about it for a while.

"Well, last weekend, Ziva absolutely would not allowed Karina to play in the grass, so I say we show them the pictures and video at, I don't know; maybe Karina's fifth birthday party?"

Abby giggled at that. "Ok, we need to make sure all the conspirators know the plan." She started to head outside. "Hey, Abbs?"

Abby turned at faced Gibbs. "I'm really proud of the job you and Tim have done with Karina. I can tell she is attached to both of you and loves being with you."

Abby's eyes shone. "Really?"

Gibbs cocked his head. "Well, she knows your names, doesn't she?"

Abby smiled, her dimples deep. She ran over and kissed Gibbs on the cheek and trotted out to the deck.

Gibbs and Mimi asked them to stay for dinner, but Abby and Tim politely declined, saying the needed to get their stuff ready to go in the morning, since they would not be coming back after work tomorrow.

They decided to take a side trip down the middle street, to look once again at the home they hoped would be theirs. To their delight, over the "For Sale" sign was a new sign: "Contract Pending."

They agreed that they loved it even more, looking at it with new eyes. "Tomorrow is when the work begins. We'll need to gather up of financial stuff."

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard. We've both worked at NCIS forever. I know employment stability is a big factor in mortgage approval."

Tim nodded. "Well, we can get some stuff from HR tomorrow: statement of employment history and salary." He looked at Abby.

"I know neither of us have a major debt, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'll go to my bank during lunch to get the check."

Abby just shook her head. "Are you sure you want to put that much down? I'm sure we could get approved with a lesser down payment."

Tim shrugged. "I know, but that will make our mortgage smaller and we can pay it off quicker."

"That way, if we find ourselves in a situation of needing a bigger house, we won't have to worry about what we owe on the house."

Reluctantly, they turned away and headed back to Tony and Ziva's home, and their last night as Karina's caregivers.

_**Glad you like this so much. Having lots of fun. Happy Holidays!**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Abby just shook her head. "Are you sure you want to put that much down? I'm sure we could get approved with a lesser down payment."**_

_**Tim shrugged. "I know, but that will make our mortgage smaller and we can pay it off quicker."**_

"_**That way, if we find ourselves in a situation of needing a bigger house, we won't have to worry about what we owe on the house."**_

_**Reluctantly, they turned away and headed back to Tony and Ziva's home, and their last night as Karina's caregivers.**_

Chapter Twenty-three: "Home Again"

Once again, Tim took over the bath duties for the evening. They stood there, looking down at the sleeping baby.

Tim put his arm around Abby's shoulders. "We did it, Abby." Tim said softly. Abby chuckled softly. "Well, we still have to get her to day care tomorrow morning without incident but I agree: we did a good job."

Quietly, they left the room and headed downstairs. Abby finished cleaning up the kitchen and made sure all the laundry was done.

She would strip the sheets off the bed they used and put a new set on before they went into work Monday.

Tim was still looking at the mortgage documents. When Abby was done, she came around him and hugged him from behind.

"I love you, Timothy McGee." She kissed his cheek. Tim brought his hand up to caress her arms.

"I love you, Abigail Sciuto. You are the love of my life." Finally convinced there was nothing more to be done, they headed upstairs for bed.

"Hey, Abby?" Tim looked at his fiancé lovingly, stroking her face. Abby turned on her side to face him. "Yessss…?"

Tim smiled. "What do you say we make a baby tonight?" Abby crushed her lips against Tim's. Tim smiled through her kiss.

"I take that as a yes?" Not that they haven't been trying all along, but Tim thought maybe actually stating it would give them the result they were hoping for.

Soon he lost his train of thought as he began to respond to Abby's touch.

**Monday Morning, August 26, 2013**

Reluctantly, Tim and Abby made their final preparations to head into work. They now had everything down to a system.

Karina was excited when she realized she was going with them in the car. She recognized her "backpack" that Tony and Ziva took with them when she went to day care.

"That's right! We're going for a ride in the car!" Karina clapped her hands. She patiently waited for Tim to buckle her into her car seat.

Tim did one last look around to make sure they had everything. Not that it mattered, since they knew where to get it. Finally satisfied, he locked the front door.

They dropped Jethro off at their place, and then headed into work. They took Karina to the day care center, giving her big kisses and hugs. Abby told the workers that Tony and Ziva were expected back today and would be picking her up at the end of the day.

Abby watched them take Karina and put her in a group of similar aged babies. She immediately started babbling and playing with the other kids.

She turned and ran right into Gibbs. She looked at him. He opened his arms and she let him envelop her in a big bear hug,

Abby brushed away the tears. "This was harder than I thought it would be, Gibbs." Gibbs smiled and kissed her head. "It always is, Abbs. It always is."

**Ronald Reagan National Airport**

They knew that the day care center would not let them burst in to see their daughter, and they would have to wait until lunch to actually see her; even though they discouraged that as well.

Sometimes the children never settled back down after seeing their parents, so they really tried to enforce the "no visiting" rule until they came to take the child home.

Ziva didn't care. She hadn't seen her baby in 72 hours and no one was going to tell her she couldn't see her until the end of the day.

They got into their car and drove to NCIS. Tony had to stop Ziva from practically running into the building. They got on the elevator and headed right to the day care area.

When the elevator door opened, they found Gibbs standing there, blocking their way. "Nope. You know the rules." Ziva stared at him, unable to believe that he was stopping her.

She hit him with her hands. "I need to see my baby! Now!" Tony put his arm around Ziva. "Come on, Ziva, calm down. We'll see her."

Gibbs smiled. "I didn't say you couldn't see her, I said you couldn't go running in there and grab her." He took Ziva's hand and led her around the corner.

There was a parent's observation area where they could look in on their children, but the kids couldn't see their parents. Gibbs led Ziva by the shoulders into the room.

She rushed to the window and placed her hands on the glass. There was her little Karina; playing in the same area with two babies of similar age.

Tony came up behind her and massaged her shoulders. "She looks like she survived being without us." He murmured.

Ziva wiped away a tear. "I do not know what would make me feel worse: knowing she could not bear us not being with her these past few days; or that she did not need us."

"Hey." Tony turned her to face him. "She will always need us. We should be grateful that she will be good with our friends and not terrorize them."

At that, Ziva smiled, wiping a small tear from her cheek. "I suppose." She turned back to the window. The babies were being put down for a nap.

She sighed. As much as she wanted to stand by this window all day, she knew she needed to get back to work.

Reluctantly, she and Tony followed Gibbs back upstairs and to the start of their day.

The day went by excruciatingly slow. Tony and Ziva took Tim and Abby out to lunch to catch up and thank them for taking care of Karina. Tim was a little late, since he had to go to the bank first to get that check.

"So," Tony said after swallowing a bite of his sandwich. "No major problems?"

Abby and Tim shook their heads in unison. "Nope." They said, again in unison.

Ziva looked at them, eyeing them critically. "You are hiding something, yes? What is it?"

Abby and Tim looked at each other. "We just had this one really gross, messy, horrible, indescribable, smelly, unbelievably incredible diaper incident. But other than that, all was good." Abby took a big sip from her Caf-Pow.

Tony and Ziva looked at Abby opened mouthed, then Tim. "Well." Tony commented. "That was…very descriptive."

They all looked at each other, and then burst out laughing. "That bad, yes?" Ziva chuckled. "We have been there."

"Timmy almost lost it, but I made him stay and help." Abby laughed.

"And what about our delightful, dainty, daughter? What did she do?" Tony's eyes were twinkling.

Tim answered. "Oh, she thought it was hilarious, but she was a very good girl while we were cleaning up the, uh…evidence."

This brought a new wave of laughter. "She was very good the whole weekend, really. She only did what a baby does. We were a little shaky at first, but it ended up being the best experience ever!" Abby bubbled.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other and smiled. _"Operation Dirty Diaper"_ had been a success.

Gibbs finally gave in and let Ziva and Tony go get Karina and bring her up to the bullpen around 3 p.m. "If we get a case, you'll have to handle the fallout of leaving her back down in day care." He warned them.

Tony and Ziva raced each other to the elevator. Gibbs shook his head, but smiled. Once they got to the door of day care, they settled down, because they didn't want to scare the other children by bursting into the room.

Quickly, but with purpose, Ziva and Tony entered the room. As soon as they got inside, Karina sensed their presence. "Mama! Dada!" She started crawling as fast as she could in their direction.

Ziva met her half-way and scooped her up, covering her in kisses and telling her how much she loved her and missed her.

Tony stood back, letting Mommy have her little moment until he couldn't stand it anymore. "Alright, let Daddy have his moment, too."

"Sorry, Tony." Ziva handed over Karina. Although less effusive as Ziva, Tony was just as overwhelmed to have his daughter in his arms again.

He kissed her and ran his hand through her curls and tickled her belly and told her he loved his Karina. Karina kissed him, "Dada." Tony's heart melted all over again.

"This child is never leaving my side again." He said to Ziva. She came up to his side and smiled. Grabbing her stuff, they headed upstairs and back to work, although it was unclear how much work they would get done with an almost eight month old baby present.

Once they got upstairs, Karina saw McGee. "Gee-Gee!" She piped up. Tony and Ziva looked at each other, then at McGee.

The big grin on Tim's face disappeared when he saw the looks on their faces. "Gee-Gee?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, uh, I guess we forgot to mention that Karina came up with names for us. I'm 'Gee-Gee' and Abby is 'Be-Be'. It's kind of cute…in a way…sort of."

Ziva smiled. "Relax, McGee. We were only surprised. I am glad she has names for you."

"Strange though, I could have thought I told her your name was Probie." Tony teased McGee.

"Very funny, Tony." Tim tried to hide his smile. He was pleased that they didn't mind her names for them. Suddenly, Gibbs showed up.

"Papa!" Karina squealed, reaching out with her arms. Gibbs smiled and put down his coffee. "I just saw you yesterday, princess." Gibbs gave her a big smooch.

He sat down with her at his desk. "Ok, show's over. Everybody back to work."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other and smiled. "Grandpa" was in charge now.

Fortunately, the rest of the day went without incident, other than Karina trying to answer the phone a few times. Gibbs let her play with his keyboard.

McGee sent himself a mental note to ask what Tony and Ziva's wishes were regarding Karina's introduction to technology.

Gibbs finally released them at 4:30 p.m. Relief washed over everyone. Ziva quickly collected her child from Gibbs, and Tony grabbed their gear.

Since the coming weekend was Labor Day, Tony announced that the DiNozzo Household would be hosting the final summer fling on Saturday; be there or be square.

Tony and Ziva had talked while they were on their holiday and decided they would make their announcement at the party. They didn't want to over shadow Tim and Abby's wedding, and they were worried about waiting too much longer.

Last time, Ziva had gone from flat stomach to six-months pregnant overnight. Well, at least it seemed that way. So far, this pregnancy has been different from the start, but they weren't taking any chances.

During the day, Tim and Abby had slipped upstairs to HR to get the necessary documents for the mortgage approval papers. Tim planned to complete the application that night and send it to his lawyer for review.

He had been in touch with Ms. Cummings to inform her of their progress. She was quite pleased with how quickly they were getting their act together.

**Tony and Ziva's Home- North Arlington**

Tony, Ziva and Karina finally got home. Bridget was almost hysterical, seeing her "parents" after such a long time. It took a while for her to settle down.

After dinner, they decided to go for a walk, to bond again as a family. Tony walked Bridget, while Ziva pushed Karina in the stroller. As always they ended up at the park, and pushed Karina on the swing and guided her down the slide.

On their way home they went down the street next to theirs to extend the walk a bit. "Hey, look." Tony said.

Ziva looked where he was pointing and saw the two houses for sale. "These are the first houses I have seen for sale since we moved here. How strange there are two so close to each other."

Tony looked grim. "It's hard times for some people. Let's go take a look."

"Why?" Ziva asked, confused. "We already have a home and ours is much nicer than these."

"Just for fun." Tony smiled. He went up to the larger house first and peered in the windows and over the back fence.

"This one is pretty nice, and I'll bet the price tag is a big one." Tony shook his head, thinking the owners will never sell in this market if they overpriced their home.

They made their way to the smaller home. Ziva looked at it. "This reminds me a little bit of Gibbs' home. Not quite the same, but similar."

Tony was peering inside. "Yeah, inside looks a lot like their house, but it's got this added room here." Tony was pointing to the small bump out that had been used as an office.

He looked thoughtful. "You know, this would be a great house for McGee and Abby."

Ziva looked surprised at that, and then considered the statement. "Can you imagine Gibbs if we all lived within a block of each other?"

"Actually, I think that I would like it. Especially when they have children." Tony smiled, agreeing with Ziva's assessment.

"Unfortunately, I do not think this will happen." Tony followed Ziva's pointed finger to the For Sale sign – "Contract Pending."

Tony sighed. "Oh, well. It was just a thought. Maybe some other house will come on the market."

Ziva hugged Tony. "What was that for?"

"Because I love you and because you love our friends."

Tony brushed it off, but he was secretly proud that Ziva thought he was a thoughtful person. "Ok, starting to get dark. Time to bathe our little girl and get her to bed, right Karina?"

"Bah bah!" Karina clapped. Tony and Ziva smiled at each, grateful that they had such an easy baby, and both fervently hoped they were as lucky with their new arrival.

Tony and Ziva settled into bed later that night. "It is so nice to be back in our own bed again!" Ziva smiled. "It's been a long day." She yawned.

Tony was already in bed, watching Ziva go through her nightly ritual of brushing her hair, moisturizing her entire body, and checking her nails for chips or splits.

She finally finished and slipped under the sheets. Tony's arm automatically went around her waist and rested on her stomach, drawing lazy circles.

"Can I talk to the baby?" Tony asked. Ziva looked surprised. "You don't have to ask, you should know that."

"I know." Tony continued his caresses. "It's just that you seem really tired and I wanted to make sure in case you wanted to go right to sleep."

Ziva smiled. "You can wake up in the middle of the night and talk to the baby if you want to." She leaned in to kiss him. "And yes, I am tired; but I am not _that_ tired," wondering if he would catch her meaning.

The grin on Tony's face told her that he had. He pulled up her top and kissed her tummy. "Hi Baby DiNozzo. This is your Daddy here. Mommy and I are so excited and can't wait to meet you."

"You have a big sister who I know will love you too, once she figures out what you are." Ziva stifled a giggle at that.

"We're going to let all of our family know about you on Saturday, so no more hiding in there. You can start to show yourself anytime you are ready." Tony kissed her tummy again.

Ziva had been running her fingers through his hair as he was talking. When he finished his conversation and kissed her tummy, he continued his kiss up in a line until he captured is wife's mouth. Home again.

**NCIS**

The remainder of the week was pretty busy. They had a tough case of two Marines murdered outside of a bar. It turned out to be the ex-girlfriend of both them.

Even though they knew each other, and sometimes hung out with the same group, neither of the Marines knew each of them had dated the same girl. But both had dumped her for the same reason: she had serious jealousy issues and was too clingy.

These guys were young and carefree and in no way ready to settle down. Thanks to this woman, neither of them ever would.

Tuesday afternoon, Tim had heard back from his lawyer. He said the mortgage application and supporting documentation looked good, so he asked Tim if he wanted him to send it in.

Tim drove over to his lawyers home to give him the cashier's check that was to be included with the mortgage application.

He and Abby were very excited and kept their fingers crossed that everything would go through ok without a hitch.

_**Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday, if you are observing it. I realize that not all of my readers are from the US. Thanks again for your tremendous support!**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**Tuesday night, Tim had heard back from his lawyer. He said the mortgage application and supporting documentation looked good, so he asked Tim if he wanted him to send it in.**_

_**Tim drove over to his lawyers home to give him the cashier's check that was to be included with the mortgage application. **_

_**He and Abby were very excited and kept their fingers crossed that everything would go through ok without a hitch.**_

Chapter Twenty-Four: "Special Announcement"

**Wednesday, August 28, 2013**

As planned, Tim brought Jethro over to Gibbs' and Mimi's for a controlled meeting with Bailey. At first, Bailey was afraid of the larger dog, cowering behind Gibbs' legs.

Doing the same as Tim had done with Tony and Bridget; they took off the leashes to see what would happen.

Tim knew he could control Jethro, so if it looked like things were going south, he could get Jethro out of the picture quickly.

Bailey stayed by Gibbs but allowed Jethro to sniff him. He growled when Jethro checked his "private parts" but that didn't bother Jethro.

Jethro then stood still so Bailey could check him out. Slowly gaining courage, Bailey came out and started sniffing Jethro.

Next was the pissing contest. Jethro went over to the fence and hiked his leg. Bailey immediately followed and marked his territory over Jethro's. Jethro repeated the gesture and then so did Bailey.

"Ok, we get it. Knock it off or you're going to ruin the grass." Gibbs yelled at them. Bailey nonchalantly walked away and started to play with his basketball, herding it around the yard and barking at it.

Tim and Gibbs' looked at each other. "Well, at least they didn't eat each other. I figured Bailey and Jethro wouldn't kiss each other like he and Bridget did."

They both looked up when Bailey's high-pitched bark at his basketball changed to a rhythmic "bark-bark-barkbark; bark-bark-barkbark," sounding strangely like the "Cat Chow" commercial- meow, meow, meowmeow.

Bailey was herding Jethro around the yard. It was a slow, even run, as if Bailey was giving instructions to Jethro. If Jethro minded being herded, he didn't show it.

"Hmmph, didn't see that coming." Tim commented. "Yep." Gibbs replied.

"Bailey, Jethro! Come drink some water, you're thirsty." Mimi called from the deck. Bailey immediately broke off his herding and headed toward Mimi, with Jethro close behind.

Bailey immediately began lapping up his water. Jethro went to the other bowl and started to lap up as well. When they were both done, they laid down beside each other on the deck at Mimi's feet, as she sat of the glider.

Tim and Gibbs looked each other. "Well, they seem ok together. So the missing detail is Bridget.'' Gibbs pulled out his phone.

"Boss?" Tony sounded worried.

Gibbs' chuckled. "Relax, no case. Do you have time to bring Bridget over? Tim brought Jethro over to see how he and Bailey would get along. The question now is if they are going to duel over Bridget."

Tony laughed at that. "Ok, sure. Give me a sec to tell Ziva what's up and we'll be right over."

About ten minutes later, Tony showed up with Bridget on the leash. "I'm here." He called out from inside the house. "How do you want to handle this?"

Gibbs looked at Tim, who shrugged. "I guess just come out with her like everything's normal. We can handle Jethro and Bailey if they start snarling."

Tony nodded. He unleashed Bridget. "Ok, Bridget. Let's go see Bailey and Jethro." He nonchalantly walked out onto the deck with Bridget.

She ran to both of her friends, who immediately stood up to give her their attention. They all started sniffing each other, going around and around in a circle. Mimi lifted her legs to get out of the way and sat cross-legged on the glider.

Just like the first time, Jethro lay down on his back with his legs splayed wide open. Bailey stopped and stared at him, then looked up at Gibbs. They would all swear he was laughing as if saying "Get a load of this idiot!"

They would also all swear that Bridget batted her eyelashes, got a "come hither" look on her face and sashayed into the yard, looking over her shoulder.

Bailey followed her, and Jethro quickly got upright and followed as well. Soon they were chasing each other, or distracted by birds and squirrels. Clearly, they were all going to get along.

The four of them watched all this in silence. Finally, McGee spoke up. "Well, all I can say is thank God they are all spayed."

They all chuckled at that. Mimi spoke up. "Tim, can Jethro have a 'Frosty Paw'? I think they all deserve a nice treat."

Tim looked at Jethro. "We don't give him too much of that kind of stuff but it would be mean to not let him have one, when Bailey and Bridget get one. Sure."

Mimi smiled, and went inside to get the treats.

"Bailey, Bridget, Jethro…treat!" At that, every dog stopped what they were doing, looked at Mimi, and then took off toward the deck.

She spread them out so there would be no fighting over the small cup of fake ice cream. Bailey did as he always did: he picked his cup up in his mouth and went to some private place to enjoy it on his own.

Bridget daintily licked at her treat, savoring each swipe of the tongue.

Jethro looked at the cup, sniffed it and looked up at Tim. "Go ahead, Jethro. You can have it." Tim shook his head at his dog.

Jethro tentatively stuck his nose in it, and came back surprised. _"That's cold!"_ He looked at Tim like he should have warned him. Cautiously, he licked it. It was gone in less than a minute.

Mimi got up to pick up the empty cup. Bridget was still working on hers and Bailey was trying to eat his cup, which he always did.

Sighing, Mimi went out into the yard and picked up the bits and pieces of what was left of Bailey's "Frosty Paw" container. "Bailey, I told you not to eat the cup!" She shook her head.

Mimi brought out some ice tea for everyone. They all sat together on the deck. Tony spoke up. "Hey, Tim. Ziva and I were taking a walk after dinner when we got home on Monday and we saw these two houses for sale just the street over." He hiked his thumb in the direction behind Gibbs' home.

"One of the homes would have been perfect for you and Abby. Unfortunately, it already has a contract pending."

Tim almost sprayed out his drink. Even Gibbs and Mimi had to keep from spilling their drinks. "Really, Tony? You think Abby and I should move into your neighborhood?"

He wasn't sure why he said that, because if Tony said "Hell no" they could be in a heap of trouble.

Tony was thoughtful. "Well, Ziva and I are here, just around the corner from Gibbs and Mimi; we spend loads of time together and once you and Abby get married and start having kids…I don't know; it was just a thought."

Tim smiled. "Well, that's nice to know that we would be welcomed to the neighborhood, Tony. That means a lot. Abby and I have talked about getting a house, so who knows? Maybe something else will come up."

"There _was_ this other house two doors down, but from what I could see, it was probably grossly overpriced." Tony suddenly looked sheepish.

"I wasn't saying you couldn't afford it, it just wouldn't be a great buy, in my opinion."

Tim smiled. "Hey, no problem, Tony. Nice to know you have our backs on this." Tony smiled wide at that.

After about another fifteen minutes of chitchat, Tony got Bridget and headed home.

Once Tony left, Tim slapped his forehead. He looked at Gibbs. "I am assuming you told Mimi?"

Gibbs nodded. "Hope you don't mind. We didn't say anything to Lily, though."

"I mean, how bizarre was that? I also choked on my drink. At least it's good to know that Tony won't mind us moving into the neighborhood if our mortgage gets approved."

Mimi looked surprised. "Did you really think he _would_ mind?"

Tim shrugged. "No, I guess not. But it means a lot to me that he brought up the idea."

"Any idea when you'll hear about your application?" Gibbs asked.

Tim shrugged. "I gave everything to my lawyer yesterday afternoon, so they have it all. I haven't gotten a call asking for additional information or explanation. Not sure if that means anything or not."

"Well, here's to a positive outcome." They all clinked their glasses,

**Saturday, August 31, 2013- Tony and Ziva's Home**

By four p.m. the party was in full swing. Lily had insisted she could walk with her crutches to their house.

She had become quite adept at using them, and she had always been athletic, so she had the strength she needed for longer distances.

But she still needed to keep her ankle elevated. She and Abby were deep in discussion. "Will your cast be taken off in time for the wedding?" Abby asked.

Lily pulled out her phone to look at her calendar. "We'll the doc originally said four weeks, which is exactly the day of your wedding."

"I actually see him the day before, so if I have to, I will beg him to take it off for the wedding and then he can put it back on afterward if he needs to. But I think I will have to wear flats, so Mom will probably have to hem my gown."

Abby had asked Ziva to be her Matron of Honor, and Lily and her BFF Carol Wilson to be her bridesmaids. As per Tim's request, Abby decided against an all-black wedding gown, but her attendants would be wearing black.

Gibbs and Tony had already started work on the play set for their backyard, but it wasn't done yet, so Karina was "forced" to rely on the old standby activities to entertain her.

Right now she was in her playpen, "talking" to Bobo. Everyone was resting, having stuffed themselves on BBQ chicken, ribs and every possible side dish that could be imagined.

Tony eyed Ziva, who nodded. Ziva went over and picked up Karina and went over to stand by Tony.

"We're glad everyone could come. Thank you, Jimmy and Breena, for bringing Ducky. And thank you Jamie for trying to stay awake for most of the time." This caused everyone to laugh.

Gibbs and Mimi reached for each other's hand, as they had an idea of what was about to come.

Tony cleared his throat. "We think of all of you as our family and are happy you could share this time with us and this special moment." He paused and looked at Ziva and put her arm around her waist.

"Much to our surprise, but utter delight, Ziva and I are extremely happy to announce that our family will be growing…" Gasps could be heard before he could barely get the words out.

"We're expecting again…" Again, Tony could barely get it out. First, he and Ziva and Karina were crushed in a hug from Abby. "I can't believe it? Already? I am so jealous, but I am so happy for you."

Ziva hoped Abby's tears were happy ones. She sensed something in her tone. She wondered, not for the first time, if she and Tim were already trying and were not having success.

If this was true, she hoped this would not upset Abby too much, so close to her wedding.

Tim was all smiles, congratulating Tony and giving Ziva and Karina a kiss on the cheek. Karina didn't know what all the fuss was about, but enjoyed all the attention.

After everyone said they're congratulations, they all settled down. "So when are you due?" Breena asked.

Ziva felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, being able to now talk about it. "Around March 20th, give or take."

Abby thought about it. "But that would mean that you are…"

"I am just ending my third month." Ziva answered.

"Wow, I can't believe you guys have been able to keep it a secret for that long." Abby was stunned.

"Well, I admit, I was in denial for a while. It took me a few days before I could tell Tony."

"Aw, Ziva." Abby through her arms around her again. She looked at Gibbs and Mimi. "Did you already know about this?" She wasn't angry, but she was intimidating.

"Ziva came to me because, well, I am a baby nurse. I only said something to Jethro because he was worried Ziva took off early to see me." She looked at Ziva. "He thought you had cancer or something else just as bad you know."

Ziva looked alarmed at that. "You never told me that." She went over and sat by Gibbs who put his arm around her. "You scared the crap out of me for about a day. Mimi finally had to tell me."

"Because you were freaking out." Mimi added.

"Well…" Gibbs looked like he was dismissing that assessment.

"_He was totally freaked."_ Mimi mouthed to everyone. She turned and saw Gibbs looking at her. "Hi, honey. Love you."

Tim spoke up. "Wait a minute. That day you both stayed home from work unexpectedly."

"Good memory, McGee. Yep, that was the morning I found out I was going to be a father again. We played hooky as a family that day."

"So do you want another girl or a boy this time?" Lily piped up.

Ziva spoke up before Tony could repeat his speech about his "little men."

"I personally do not have a preference, although I think Tony would like a son. He feels outnumbered."

"Even our _dog_ is a girl." He pointed out. Everyone laughed at that.

"However, we _have_ decided that when we have the ultrasound at sixteen weeks, we will find out the sex, unlike with our little Karina."

"Speaking of which," Ducky spoke up. "She will barely be fifteen months old when your second child is born."

Ziva looked down briefly. "I had a hard time coming to terms with that."

Tony went over and pulled up Ziva from where she was sitting with Gibbs and put his arms around her from behind. Gibbs held on to Karina.

"She was worried she was taking away from Karina's baby years, but this is what we have and we will make the best of it. We look at this as a blessing, not as a mistake; at worst a happy accident."

"Well, that is an excellent attitude. Hopefully, our little Karina Lee will be just as excited as you are." Ducky commented.

"Kar-Lee!" Karina laughed and clapped happily. Tony and Ziva looked at her. "That's the second time she's said that."

"Uh, actually, she referred to herself as that several times while you were gone." Abby admitted.

"I think it's cute that she's given herself a nickname. But we won't use it if you don't like it." Gibbs said.

"Karlee." Tony mused. "Well, I always liked Carly Simon."

Ziva did not look as enthusiastic. "Look, my dad still calls me Anthony or Junior, which I absolutely hate."

"By the time she goes to school, she will come up with her own nickname anyway. Or her friends will for her. Didn't you have a nickname?"

Ziva shook her head. "No." Which was not true.

"Ok, we can table this for now. But if she starts referring to herself as Karlee, then I guess we'll have to accept it. But that doesn't mean her mother can't call her Karina."

Ziva shrugged. It was not up for discussion at the moment.

Mimi piped up. "Well, at least she has two pretty names to choose from."

Ziva looked at Mimi, surprised. Then she remembered Mimi's real first name was Jemimah. "Want to know my sisters' names? Keziah Sophia and Syntha Amanda. Want to guess what they go by?"

"What cool names!" Abby said.

Mimi smiled at Abby. "They are Sophie and Mandy and I can guarantee you that any member of my family who wants to live never uses their first names. Want to know what my mother's first name was?"

Everyone nodded. "Claude. She was always called Georgie as a child and thought her real name was Georgia as that is where a lot of our Ancestors came from."

"How did she find out that her name was Claude?" Tim asked.

"When she got a draft notice for WWII. My grandfather just put his name down on her birth certificate. What a mess _that_ was to straighten out."

Everyone, even Ziva, laughed at that. "What a story!" Tim said. "I should put something like that in my next book. We can't find a suspect because her birth certificate is not the name she goes by."

"Interesting thought, Tim. So anyway, she is Georgia Claude, and still goes by Georgie; well, we call her that anyway." Mimi looked down for a moment. Gibbs took her hand.

Ziva sighed. "If my Karina wants to call herself Karlee, when she is old enough, I will not fight it."

"Kar-Lee!" Karina piped up.

**NCIS**

The team was lucky they didn't have the call over the Labor Day Holiday weekend. There was an accidental drowning of a Marine Private and a missing child that eventually turned up unharmed in less than twenty four hours.

Still, they always felt like they were behind after a long weekend off and Tuesday was filled with paperwork and catching up.

Tim was downstairs with Abby going over some evidence when his phone rang. He looked at the readout, then up at Abby. "It's the realtor."

Abby looked excited and scared all at the same time. "Special Agent Timothy McGee."

_**I can't believe the great reviews I've been getting. You guys are awesome! By the way, my first Sheltie, Alex, used to herd my Brother's pug Ricky around the dining room table just as described in this story…bark, bark, barkbark…like he was singing. It was hilarious.**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**The team was lucky they didn't have the call over the Labor Day Holiday weekend. There was an accidental drowning of a Marine Private and a missing child that eventually turned up unharmed in less than twenty four hours.**_

_**Still, they always felt like they were behind after a long weekend off and Tuesday was filled with paperwork and catching up.**_

_**Tim was downstairs with Abby going over some evidence when his phone rang. He looked at the readout then up at Abby. "It's the realtor." **_

_**Abby looked excited and scared all at the same time. "Special Agent Timothy McGee."**_

Chapter Twenty-Five: "Moving Ahead"

"Agent McGee! Catherine Cummings. I have great news for you and Ms. Sciuto. Your mortgage application has been approved. Congratulations, you are now homeowners!"

Tim felt back for a chair to sit on, because he didn't think his legs would hold him up. He listened as Ms. Cummings explained that they would need to meet at the Real Estate office to sign the mortgage agreement, and then at the Title Agency for final paperwork and getting the keys.

"Ok, thanks, yeah, I know. Thanks again." He hung up and looked at Abby. She had Bert in her arms and gave him a stressful squeeze.

The resulting "fart" made Tim lose his poker face. He walked quietly up to Abby, and then broke out in a huge grin. "We got the house!" He picked her up and swung her around the room.

"Oh, my God, Timmy. Really? We did it?" Abby was so happy she could hardly contain herself. "Let's go tell everybody."

Tim and Abby went upstairs. Tim had called ahead and asked Ducky and Jimmy to join them in the Bullpen.

"Ok, McSecretAgentMan, what's this all about?" Tony asked.

"Well, Tony, remember that house you and Ziva saw that you thought would be perfect for us?" Tony nodded, confused.

"Well, Abby and I thought the same thing, which is why we put a contract down on it." Tony looked at Ziva, then back at Tim and Abby.

"No way!" Tony exclaimed. "That 'Contract Pending' sign was you?"

Tim nodded proudly. "We just received a call and Abby and I are very happy to announce that we are now homeowners."

The team burst into cheers and claps and sounds of congratulations. Jimmy was a little surprised. "Wow, all of you; in the same neighborhood."

"Hey Autopsy Gremlin! We'll keep our eyes peeled and the next house to go up for sale we'll let you know about."

Jimmy was surprised but privately pleased that Tony would think of Jimmy and his family joining their little part of North Arlington.

'Uh, thanks Tony. We're not looking to move right now, but…thanks!"

Gibbs gave Abby a big hug and shook Tim's hand. "I don't know if you realize this or not, but your new backyard and my backyard share half of a fence."

Tim's eyes bugged out at that. "No, Boss. I didn't even realize…"

"Relax, McGee. Mimi already has me working on the plans for the communal gate."

Tim thought about that for a moment, then thought what a cool idea that was.

"Your wedding is only two weeks away. You don't think you're going to be able to close on the house and move in before then, do?" Gibbs asked.

Tim and Abby looked at each other. "Well, we're closing tomorrow. The house is empty except for the table and chairs real estate people put in there."

"But, I don't know. I hadn't even thought of that." Tim rubbed his forehead.

"Hey, no problems. We'll rent a truck this weekend to move all the big stuff. Once you get the keys, we can all drive to your apartment in our individual cars and load up the small stuff." Tony replied.

"What we don't get done this weekend, the rest of us can handle while on your honeymoon, that is if it's ok with you."

Tim and Abby communicated silently. "Deal!" they said at the same time.

The closing went smoothly, and Tim and Abby drove immediately to their new home. They walked slowly around, touching things, unable to believe it was theirs.

Tim looked outside and laughed. On their deck there was a huge plant and a card. Tim opened the French doors and they stepped outside.

The plant was from Gibbs and Mimi. "Welcome to your new home. Love, Jethro and Mimi." Abby snorted. "Well, we know Gibbs didn't write out that card." The plant was lovely. Tim looked over at their yard.

"He must have used two ladders. Otherwise, I can't figure out how he got it over here." Abby smiled.

As planned, the next night, a mixture of six cars and trucks showed up at Tim and Abby's place to start boxing up and moving the smaller items. Breena was sick, so Jimmy had to stay home with Jamie. Karina was with Lily at Gibbs' house.

Ziva, Mimi and Abby set to taking down the breakable kitchen ware, wrapping them in newspaper and putting them in boxes. Tony and Gibbs started boxing up all of Tim's books.

Tim starting pulling clothes out of the closet that they weren't currently using. He just laid them down in the back seat of the car.

Once all the cars were loaded, they headed over to the new home. For everyone other than Tim, Abby and Gibbs, no one else had seen the inside of the house.

They were efficient about bringing the stuff in. They let Abby direct where to put things, though they knew to put the books in Tim's new office.

They all agreed to do one trip a night, so they wouldn't get worn out for the big move on Saturday.

Abby looked around, at all of her friends, helping her and Tim. Ziva and Mimi were putting away some of the dishes and glasses and cups; and the cookware that they wouldn't be using until they moved in.

Abby went into the Master Suite. Tim had hung up all of the clothes; they could rearrange them later.

Tim's books would need to wait until the bookcases arrived. Done with all they could do, they headed back to Gibbs'.

Lily and Karina were in the living room; Lily with a book and Karina with a book, although it was upside down. Once everyone came back, Karina put her book down and pulled herself up in her playpen.

"Hi! Hi! Hi!" Karina yelled out her new word. "Hi, Karina!" Everyone acknowledged. Ziva scooped her up and checked her diaper. Lily looked up.

"I changed her diaper about an hour ago, so she should be good to go."

"Oh, thank you Lily. How did you manage it?" Lily smiled. "She's right next to me. I can reach in and get her. Diaper bag is right here."

"She didn't give you any problems did she?" Tony asked. "Being pent up the entire time?" Lily shook her head. "She was fine, as long as I answered her questions."

"I see." Tony laughed. "Did she concur with you answers?" Lily laughed. "I don't think she liked one of them, because she went off for about five minutes non-stop. Other than that, we were cool, weren't we ninja-baby?" Karina grinned at Lily. "Li-Li."

Lily was happy she had called her professor as Abby had suggested and not only tested out of the one Micro class she was considering dropping, she was given a list of other classes she could test out of if she chose to.

She was also happy that Sean's phone ban had been lifted and they were now back into communication. He had asked her out on a date, but they were still trying to figure out the logistics to it, considering they were both still encased in plaster.

They all called it a night, and went their separate ways. They were all tired but got more accomplished than they had expected.

Fortunately, Friday was quiet and Gibb's let them call off early. Gibbs went and rented the largest U-Haul he felt comfortable driving.

They spent most of Friday night again wrapping up and packing small items. They moved their dining room set into the truck as well as the bookcases and smaller pieces of furniture that they wouldn't need that night.

By the time they were done, the only thing left was their bedroom, bathroom, linens, food and Tim's precious typewriter, desk and writing supplies.

Back to the new house, they repeated that process and soon, the truck was emptied out. Again, Ziva and Mimi finished with the kitchen items and placed the small knick knacks on the counters until they could be placed where Tim and Abby wanted them.

**Gibbs and Mimi's Home**

Gibbs was exhausted. Mimi made him some hot herbal tea. He looked at her. "Hot Tea? It's 80 degrees out there."

"I know you think you are invincible, but you've done a lot of heavy lifting the past two nights. Let your private duty nurse take care of you." Mimi stroked his brow.

Gibbs hiked an eyebrow and gave a crooked grin. "My private duty nurse, huh? Well, in that case, I think I can come up with all sorts of ailments that need to be attended to."

Mimi just shook her head. "Drink your tea, then I'll give you some Advil. We'll see how you feel after that. Tomorrow is the real heavy furniture. Let Tony and Tim handle it, will you, please?"

"Wait a minute. Are you telling me I'm old?" Gibbs' blue eyes were open wide.

Mimi grimaced. "I would never tell you that, my silver haired fox. Only that they are 'younger.' Look, I watched you; you don't use proper body mechanics. You could injure your back or something."

"What in the hell is 'body mechanics'?" Gibbs asked.

Mimi sighed, thinking she had really put her foot in it this time. "Look, you have a proper stance and way you handle and shoot your gun, correct?"

Gibbs nodded, confused.

"Well, there's a proper way to stand and move while lifting and pulling. That's what body mechanics is. If you do it wrong, you injure yourself. That's all I'm saying. Be careful. I love you. I don't want you to get hurt."

Gibbs stared at his tea. "Yeah, ok." Mimi kissed him on his head and went into the kitchen to get more tea. He watched her, thinking how lucky he was to have someone actually worry about how he picked up a piece of furniture.

Not surprisingly, Gibbs woke up Saturday morning stiff and sore, but he wasn't about to admit it to Mimi. As they ate breakfast, she silently pushed the bottle of Advil toward him.

He hid his smile. He should have known he couldn't fool her.

The final move took longer than the others. The bed had to be taken apart, and the dresser was really heavy. Tim had a large chest of drawers for his stuff.

They decided to just take the drawers out and leave everything in them. Tim and Abby planned to stay at their new home from that night on, so Jethro sat in the truck with Gibbs.

They spent the rest of the day unloading the remainder of the furniture and putting together the bedroom set. Once that was done, Abby made the bed.

After much deliberation, the sofa and side chairs were placed in the living room and the dining room set put in place. The bookcases would not fit in the nook Tim planned to use as his office, so they went downstairs to the finished family room.

His desk, typewriter and a smaller bookcase fit nicely into the bump out. They were done with as much as they could do by 4p.m.

Tony and Ziva invited everyone over for dinner. It was just a low key affair. Ziva had made a chicken and biscuit casserole, which everyone scarfed down in record time.

A large salad and cheesy potato straws completed the meal. For dessert, Ziva made a delicious red-velvet cake.

She had not been allowed to do any lifting during the move, so she felt this was her contribution.

"Oh, my God, Ziva! This is so good. Can I have your recipe?" Abby asked in between bites of the chicken dish. Ziva smiled.

"It is actually Mimi's recipe." Abby whipped her pony tails around to look at Mimi. "Can I have it too?"

Mimi laughed. 'Of'course, Abby. It is an easy dish, and does its job."

"That's for sure." Gibbs mumbled through his chewing.

Lily had stayed home, to study. Tony cleared his throat. "Hey, Boss, Mimi; we may have a solution to Lily and Sean's date, although I'm not sure she will like it."

Gibbs and Mimi looked up. "Ok, you've got our attention."

"Well, considering their lack of mobility, obviously going out dancing isn't an option. First dates are usually movies. If they don't feel like they are being chaperoned, they can have their "movie date" downstairs in our media room."

"We can set it up down there like a real theater: popcorn, soda, water, hotdogs, nachos; whatever they want."

"We can hang out at your place while they're on their date, or stay upstairs, depending on Sean's parents. I mean, it's not like he's going to get much further than first base."

Ziva looked confused. "They will be playing baseball?"

Gibb chuckled. "First base is kissing, second base is…"

"Yes! Ok, I understand." Ziva held up her hand for him to stop.

Mimi thought about it. "I think that's very generous of you guys, and I like it. So I guess the question is what they will think about it and of'course when to do this. The next weekend is obviously out. And I don't think their first date should be a wedding."

Everyone smiled at that. "We'll talk to her and let her talk to Sean. Sean's parents will have to get him over here, so there are some logistics that need to be addressed."

"But I think it's a good idea. Thanks for coming up with it." Mimi smiled.

"Hey, our pleasure. Besides, we figured Karina's first date would be in her Grandpa's basement, showing her wannabe boyfriend the finer points of sanding with the grain."

Everyone burst out laughing at that, including Karina. "Papa!" She clapped.

No one stayed long. Everyone was tired and they knew Tim and Abby wanted to get started on their first night in their new home.

Tim, Abby and Jethro walked one block over to their home. They walked around, looking at their furniture, their special treasures.

Tim put his arm around Abby's waist. "I still can't believe it's ours, Abby. Hope Jethro settles down and sleeps ok tonight."

Jethro wasn't quite sure what had just transpired, but he was with his Daddy and Mommy, so that was all that mattered. He explored every nook and cranny of the house.

He ran all over the back yard. Fortunately, Bailey wasn't out at the moment, so they didn't have to deal with the confusion of him being there, but not being there.

Jethro however, did hone in on that corner where the two yards joined. Finally tired out by his efforts, Jethro came back in and went upstairs to join Tim and Abby.

They took their first shower in their home together. It was a beautiful bathroom and they were both thrilled with it.

"Just think, this time next week, we will be married." Tim kissed Abby. Abby snuggled into Tim's arms. "I know! I can't believe it's almost here. I am so excited."

The plan was for Abby to spend the night at Gibbs and Mimi's Friday night. Ziva and Carol would come over that morning to get ready with Abby and Lily.

Gibbs ordered a limo to take the Bridal party to the convent chapel, where the wedding would take place a 2 p.m. They would all then return to Tony and Ziva's for the catered reception.

Ziva had considered catering it herself, but with both her and Tony in the wedding, plus Karina, plus being in her fourth month of pregnancy, she deferred to popular opinion and picked out a caterer with Abby.

Their back yard was being set up with a raised platform stage for dancing, with a DJ. Tents were on standby in case the weather did not cooperate, but so far the weather forecasts were calling for a beautiful day.

The boys went out Wednesday night. Tim wanted a low-key affair, no heavy drinking, shots, or naked woman. But they did do Karaoke. Only Gibbs did not participate, but he did cheer the others on.

"There is not enough alcohol in this world to get me up on that platform and sings words from a rolling screen." He stated.

Tony, Jimmy, Kyle and Ducky more than made up for the missing singer. Even Tim got up the courage to sing a song, which was actually kind of raunchy and even Tony admitted he did a good job at it. Luca enjoyed everyone's singing, but was in Gibbs' camp as far as getting up on the stage.

They got Tim to agree to one round of shots. "To Tim and Abby!" The group toasted. As one, they all downed their shots.

_**Yay, they got the house! The wedding is the next chapter. Thanks again for the great reviews!**_


	26. Chapter 26

_**The boys went out Wednesday night. Tim wanted a low-key affair, no heavy drinking, shots, or naked woman. But they did do Karaoke. Only Gibbs did not participate, but he did cheer the others on.**_

"_**There is not enough alcohol in the world to get me up on that platform and sings words from a rolling screen." He stated.**_

_**Tony, Jimmy, Kyle and Ducky more than made up for the missing singer. Even Tim got up the courage to sing a song, which was actually kind of raunchy and even Tony admitted he did a good job at it. Luca enjoyed everyone's singing, but was in Gibbs' camp as far as getting up on the stage.**_

_**They got Tim to agree to one round of shots. "To Tim and Abby!" The group toasted. As one, they all downed their shots.**_

Chapter Twenty-Six: "Celebration"

The girls were at Gibbs' and Mimi's. Ziva couldn't drink, so she was Abby's ride home in case she should get schnockered. Unless of'course the boys got back before their party was over. Breena didn't drink either since she was still breastfeeding Jamie.

Abby made Jell-O shots and Margarita's. She made a virgin one for Ziva and Breena, which turned out pretty good. Karina had juice and clapped and sang along in her baby voice when someone else broke out in song. Jamie watched everyone with interest, gurgling occasionally.

They put Jamie and Karina together briefly to see how Karina would act around a baby. She seemed quite concerned that the little baby wasn't talking to her and kept looking a Ziva.

Occasionally, she would pat Jamie's back, or hold onto his arm, but for the most part, she was gentle, and seemed interested in him. Jamie just stared at her with his big baby gray-blue eyes.

"I think he's in love." Breena laughed.

Ziva considered it might be a good idea if she and Breena got together more often so that Karina would feel more comfortable having smaller babies around her. There were newborns at work, but they didn't have the older babies interact with them too much.

They talked about it, and they agreed to a weekly get-together, in additional to whenever they all got together at each other's homes.

Abby decided to play her own version of "Truth or Dare" which she called "Dare." Each person had to reach into a bowl and pull out a slip of paper. Whatever was on the paper, that person had to do.

They all agreed that no nudity would be involved, or anything that would be considered as "contributing to the delinquency of a minor," meaning Karina, since Jamie was too young to understand what they were doing.

Only Lily got a pass on what she drew, if it was physically impossible for her to do it because of her broken ankle.

Carol drew first. "Oh, man! Pretty lame!" She had to stand on her head. Carol put a pillow on the floor and soon she was balancing her little person body on her head. Everyone cheered.

"Ok, here is mine." Abby triumphantly drew out the paper. She gasped. "Who put this in here?" She asked.

She had to pretend to be Director Vance. She asked Mimi for help. She put on a coat of Gibbs', drew in a mustache with her eyebrow pencil and stuck a tooth pick in her mouth.

"I don't care if you have to blankety-blank a herd of buffalo, Gibbs. I want that report on my desk, now!" She said in her best Vance voice.

That got howls of laughter. Mimi drew next. "Oh, my. Well, this will be interesting." She stood in the middle of the living room and got up of her toes, posing as a ballerina.

Then in a high-pitched voice, she started to sing. "We…represent, the 'Lullaby League', the 'Lullaby League', the 'Lullaby League'. And in the name of…the 'Lullaby League'…we…wish to welcome you to Munchkin Land." She did the little dance with the song.

Everyone was rolling on the floor, laughing. "Oh, Mimi, that was priceless! I think you missed your calling!" Ziva and Lily were laughing so hard they were snorting.

"Ok, Ziva. You're turn." Ziva was a little nervous. She didn't mind singing in front of people, but trying to be funny was not something she thought she was good at.

She looked at her slip of paper and slightly smiled. Everyone looked a little confused when she tucked the bottom of her shirt up into her bra and lowered her pants enough to show off her slight baby bump. She then pulled out her iPod, and searched for a song. Satisfied, she got in position just as Mimi did, and turn on "play."

The music was exotic and what Ziva did made everyone's mouth drop open: she proceeded to belly dance in front of them. And it was not an "I'll think I'll pretend I know how to belly dance" dance; she was doing the real thing and doing a great job at it.

Karina was moving her hips back and forth with her mother, trying to mimic her moves. "Look at Karina!" Lily said. They all covered their mouths so they wouldn't disturb the little girl who had her eyes glued to her mother.

Once Ziva was done, she was treated to whistles and applause. Abby stood up and glared at her. "How come you never told me you could belly dance?"

Ziva looked at her friend, amused, while readjusting her clothing. "It never came up and didn't seem like something I would interject into a normal conversation."

"Hmmm…what else can you do?"

Ziva sat down, tired after her performance. "Dancing you mean? Ballet, salsa, normal dancing..."

"Does Tony know?" Abby pressed.

"That I can dance? Of'course he does. We have danced many times." Ziva answered.

"Evasive, Ziva. That's what I love about you. But I _meant_ the Belly dancing, and you know it." Abby's eyes were trained on her.

Ziva got a wicked smile. "What do you think?"

Abby looked shocked. "I can't believe he's never said anything! I mean at least to Tim. He should be bragging about his wife who can shake her hips and mean it!"

They all started laughing again. They took a breather to get some more "refreshments" and eat some of the delicious food prepared by Mimi and Ziva. Abby had taken the rest of the week off, in preparation for the wedding. Ziva took Friday off.

This meant tomorrow was a work day. Mimi was fortunate in that she could do a lot of her work from home, as 75% of her job involved research and writing.

She actually had clinic in the afternoon tomorrow, so she had the luxury of sleeping in.

Ziva was dozing on the sofa when the men folk got back. They had been true to their word, and did not get Tim roaring drunk. In fact, none of them were drunk.

Tony went home and got their car, then drove back over to Gibbs' to pick up Ziva and Karina, who was also asleep.

"Need any help there, Tony?" Gibbs asked, looking at his two sleeping girls. Tony grinned. "No thanks, Boss. Ziva will wake up in just a second, and then we'll be fine."

He went over to Ziva and sat next to her. He put his arm around her. She turned and snuggled into him. Something in her brain made her realize she and Tony were not in their bed and her eyes slowly opened.

"Hi." She said. "Have a good time?"

Tony kissed her. "Yep. How about you wild women? Look at you, all worn out." She glared at him. He stood and helped her up.

"Go ahead and get in the car, Gibbs will help me with Karina." Ziva yawned and nodded, as she waved goodbye and walked toward their car.

Gibbs carefully picked up the sleeping baby, while Tony folded up the playpen. Mimi walked out with them. "I know it's only around the corner, but be careful." She said.

Tony waved and took off with his precious cargo. Gibbs and Mimi watched them leave until they were out of sight.

Tim had managed to get Abby home without any problems. Carol was spending the night with them. Jimmy, Breena, Jamie and Ducky all left together.

"So we got a call from Tony so we could hear someone singing karaoke. That wasn't you by chance was it?"

Gibbs looked at her like she was nuts. "Hell no! I wouldn't be caught dead up there. What song was it?"

Mimi frowned as she thought about it. "I don't know the name of the song, but it was fairly…R-rated, I guess. Didn't quite make it into the X-rated category but came close."

Gibbs laughed. "That was Tim." Mimi's eyes got huge. "Well, who would thought our little Tim would belt out a song like that." She laughed as well.

"OK, it's a school night. Off to bed." Mimi and Gibbs slowly climbed the stairs.

**Saturday, September 14, 2013**

The day of the wedding dawned cool and clear. The temperature was supposed to reach the low 80's with low humidity, so they were happy about that.

Abby had her wedding dress at Gibbs' and Mimi's since she got it. She admired it now as it lay across the bed. There was a knock on her bedroom door, having spent Friday night with them.

"Come on in, unless you're Timmy." She called out. Mimi peered around the door. "It's only me. Want some breakfast?" Abby nodded enthusiastically and headed downstairs.

She joined Lily and Gibbs, who were already at the table. "Here comes the Bride!" Lily sang out as she caught sight of Abby.

Lily had seen her doctor the day before and he had removed her cast. He was allowing her to just wear the flats for the wedding, but the minute the ceremony was over, she was to put on the pressure walking boot.

Lily didn't mind. She didn't care if she danced or not at the wedding. She was an experienced "chair dancer," meaning she could get into the music just fine without leaving her seat.

By noon, all the bridesmaids were at the house, getting ready. Abby decided to dress her hair up a little bit by wearing it in a French twist. Ziva threaded little black and white pearl gems into her hair.

Abby had found the perfect dress. It was white, but had a diagonal cascade of black and white crystals, sequins and pearls on the bodice and trailing down the skirt to the hem.

Abby had a terrific figure, so her dress was form-fitting, the bodice lightly boned and a mermaid style skirt.

She really didn't want too much on her head, so her veil was attached at the back of her French Twist, dotted with crystals.

She had a bouquet of blood red roses on medium length stems, tied with a black and white gem encrusted bow. Her shoes matched the dress, white with the diagonal arrangement of crystals.

The Bridesmaids all wore fitted black sheaths with white crystal belts. Ziva was a little worried she might not fit hers anymore. Her small baby bump showed, but the dress was not in danger of coming apart at the seams.

Their bouquets were smaller versions of Abby's bouquet, with crystal sprays springing from the tops.

Ziva would not allow Karina to wear black, so she had on a light red satin dress with puffy short sleeves and a full skirt, with little crystals on it. Her hair was getting longer and thick enough that Ziva pulled a small amount up on top and tied it up with a red bow. She had on white lacey tights and black "dressy" shoes.

She was also wearing the gold bangle baby bracelet Ziva's father had sent her when she was born. She had now grown into it, so it would not fall off of her arm.

Tony thought it was silly to spend such an extravagant amount of money on a piece of jewelry that Karina would only be able to wear for such a short time.

Ziva explained this was a tradition and not only had this bracelet been hers and Tali's; it had been originally given to her mother when she was a baby. She did admit, though, that she was shocked Eli still had it in his possession, and that he would think to send it to them.

The limo arrived at 1pm, and Abby came downstairs, where Gibbs was waiting for her. His eyes watered a bit when he saw how beautiful she looked.

He kissed her lightly on the cheek, not wanting to mess up her makeup. "Tim is the luckiest man alive today." Abby was just beaming.

"Are you ready?" Gibbs asked her. Abby looked at her friends, all surrounding her. "Let's go put on a wedding!" She said.

They all piled into the limo. Mimi would be taking care of Karina during the ceremony since Ziva and Tony were both in the Bridal Party. Once Gibbs was done with his part, he would sit in the pew with Mimi and Karina.

They arrived at the convent at 1:40 pm. There was a small room attached to the vestibule of the chapel that they waited in. Ziva's phone rang.

"Hi, Tony. Yes, I will tell her. Yes, Karina looks like a princess, you will see her soon. Love you, too." She ended the call. "The guys are all here." She said, looking at Abby.

Until that moment, Abby hadn't realized how worried she was that Tim might actually not go through with it. That was silly, of'course, but the mind can't always dictate how the heart feels.

She felt as if a great weight had been lifted off of her. At 2 p.m., it was time to start. Abby had come up with her own idea of how to get her two brothers _and_ Gibbs walk her down the aisle.

Tim, Tony, and Jimmy were standing in the front of the Altar, waiting for the processional. Carol came first, followed by Lily, then Breena. Finally, Ziva, as Matron of Honor came down the aisle and took her place opposite her husband.

Gibbs then walked down the aisle by himself to a point about three pews from the wedding party and the Priest, and stood, waiting.

As the organ music surged, Abby came down the aisle, escorted on both sides by her two brothers Luca and Kyle. When they reached Gibbs, they each gave her a kiss on the cheek and went and took their places with the rest of the groomsmen.

Abby then turned to Gibb, who held out his right arm. Smiling, she placed her left arm through his and he walked her down the remaining part of the aisle, to stand next to Tim.

Tim was overwhelmed when he saw Abby. Tony reached out and put has hand on his shoulder, remembering how he felt when he saw Ziva walk both times down that aisle. "Don't ever forget this moment." Tony whispered to him.

Tony was also overcome, seeing Ziva in her black dress, their baby just beginning to show beneath her dress. He felt a surge of pride and love for his family.

Karina had been waving at everybody as they came down the aisle. "Hi!" She said to each of them as they all walked by. Tony blew a kiss to his daughter, which made her grin.

Gibbs gave away the bride and placed her hand in Tim's. He then went and sat down next to Mimi and Karina in the front pew, putting his arm around them both. Tim's Mom, his grandmother Penny and some cousins sat on the opposite side.

Many of Tim's gaming friends were there, as well as numerous NCIS people. The Vance's were all in full attendance.

The ceremony was short, but Tim and Abby wrote their own vows, which were very moving. Finally they were pronounced husband and wife and everyone erupted into cheers and clapping.

Karina laughed and clapped with everyone else, excited by all the flowers and the pretty dresses. They all waited around for pictures, then finally piled back into the limousines and cars to head to Tony and Ziva's for the reception.

The house was decorated with black and white linens on the tables. Beautiful long stem white roses were placed in vases throughout.

The deck was draped with greenery and crystals, with the beverages outside. A dancing platform had been placed in the yard and a DJ was getting his equipment ready to go.

Abby had a lot of friends, and she had trouble whittling down the guest list. Notably missing was Sarah, Tim's sister. She was in Graduate School in San Francisco and could not get out of some commitments. She promised to meet them down in San Diego for an evening while they were there for their honeymoon.

The DJ presented "Mr. and Mrs. Timothy McGee!" Amid cheers and whistles, they went out on the stage and danced their first as a married couple. Abby then danced with each of her brothers and Gibbs. McGee danced with his Mom and Penny. Then, like Tony had, he danced with Mimi.

Soon everyone was dancing and having a great time. Karina once again danced with everyone, including Lily, who held her hands while she was standing and let Karina move back and forth, up and down with the music.

Tony scooped her up and danced with his daughter. Gibbs grabbed her next. Tim seemed content to just dance with Abby, but was forced to relinquish her time and again to her family and friends.

Gibbs and Mimi were dancing a slow dance. All the couples on the floor were appropriately matched. Mimi laid her head on his shoulders. "Just one more, then all the kids will be married." She sighed.

Gibbs chuckled. "I don't think Lily's in any rush. Besides, there's still Ducky." Mimi laughed at that. "We need to find him a woman, Jethro."

"I'll put that at the top of my 'to do' list." Gibbs said.

They danced for a while. "You know, and I am not telling you this to gross you out or anything; but Abby threw up this morning."

Gibbs pulled back and looked at Mimi. "Hell, _I_ threw up the day of my wedding."

"Which one?"

Gibbs looked closely at Mimi, wondering if she was making some sort of commentary on their own relationship and the fact that they had not spoken of marriage themselves.

But she was smiling, knowing he was making a joke. "Have you ever known Abby to throw up when she was nervous; which by the way she wasn't this morning?"

Gibbs stopped dancing. "Are you suggesting what I think you are suggesting?"

Mimi shrugged. "Just thought I'd share some Intel." Gibbs laughed out loud at that. Mimi was quick to pick up their lingo.

"Hmm." Gibbs said as he began dancing again. "I guess we'll know soon enough, won't we?" Mimi's eyes were sparkling as she nodded.

_**Yay! They're finally married. The summer months took up a lot of time. Things will move along faster now. Thanks as always for the great reviews.  
**_


	27. Chapter 27

_**Gibbs looked closely at Mimi, wondering if she was making some sort of commentary on their own relationship and the fact that they had not spoken of marriage themselves.**_

_**But she was smiling, knowing he was making a joke. "Have you ever known Abby to throw up when she was nervous; which by the way she wasn't this morning?" **_

_**Gibbs stopped dancing. "Are you suggesting what I think you are suggesting?"**_

_**Mimi shrugged. "Just thought I'd share some Intel." Gibbs laughed out loud at that. Mimi was quick to pick up their lingo.**_

"_**Hmm." Gibbs said as he began dancing again. "I guess we'll know soon enough, won't we?" Mimi's eyes were sparkling as she nodded.**_

Chapter Twenty-Seven: "California Dreaming"

The post-wedding party lasted well into the night, although the newlyweds exited fairly early. They would be spending their first night as husband and wife in their new home, then fly to San Diego in the morning.

Once Tony started singing with the DJ, Ziva cut him off. She couldn't handle a baby and a really drunk husband at the same time, although she knew Gibbs would help her get Tony upstairs. Or she could just leave him on the couch.

He drank so rarely now, that she felt bad stopping him; especially since he was having such a great time. But Tony also knew when Ziva put the cork back into the wine bottle; she was looking out for him and accepted the restriction good-naturedly, even if he was drunk. His love for Ziva and Karina and baby-to-be was much stronger than drinking to the point of unconsciousness.

He contented himself to sitting on the glider with Ziva, watching Gibbs dance with Karina. "She really has turned him to mush, hasn't she?" Tony marveled.

"And her father, and her uncles. She's going to be handful when she's a teenager." Ziva sighed. Tony chuckled.

"Not while Daddy is on the look-out!" Tony declared, daring any young man to come near his daughter.

Ziva laughed. "Well, thankfully, we do not have to worry about that for many, many years." She paused. "Unless she turns out like her father and tries to get her first date at the age of six."

Tony didn't even look at Ziva. "Hey, I was ten. Big difference." Ziva rolled her eyes.

He leaned against his wife, half slouching. "How's Mommy doing?" He put his hand on Ziva's tummy. "Have I told you yet how beautiful you looked today? You look beautiful now."

Ziva had changed out of her gown as soon as she considered it appropriate. She couldn't take care of Karina and help out with the reception wearing a tight gown and heels.

She was currently wearing a long summer dress that was filmy and flowing. The evening had brought a cool breeze and she had a thin wrap around her shoulders.

She kissed her husband, savoring his taste. "Your eyes told me as I walked down the aisle. Your eyes told me as Tim and Abby each said 'I Do.' Your voice told me as you escorted me down the aisle for the processional. Your hands told me as we danced tonight.

And you are telling me now and every day we are together. I am the luckiest woman in the whole world, and I would not trade any of the horrible things that I have witnessed or have been subjected to, if all those things helped to bring us together."

Tony kissed her hand. "Aw, get a room." Gibbs growled good-naturedly as he came up and sat down with Karina.

Tony waved his arms. "This whole place is my room." Even Gibbs chuckled at that.

Like Ziva, Karina had kept her "wedding" dress on for as long as it seemed appropriate and that it didn't look like it was in any danger of being soiled.

She was put down for a nap, and now was the party girl. "Did you wear out Grandpa?" Tony asked his daughter.

Karina grinned, her first bottom middle tooth showing. The second middle tooth looked like it was just beginning to erupt, so they were prepared for some more teething issues.

"Papa." She cooed. Gibbs kissed the top of her head.

"Hey, Boss. Ziva was just saying how Karina has turned you into mush."

Tony mouthed a big "Ow" when Ziva punched him in the arm. "I did not say that, Gibbs."

Gibbs just shook his head. He knew that was something Tony would say.

"It was a nice wedding wasn't it?" Tony asked.

Mimi joined them, taking the chair next to Gibbs. She reached out and he handed her Karina. "Yes, it was absolutely beautiful. Abby looked stunning. Everyone looked great. That was nice, what you did, Tony."

Ziva looked at her husband in surprise, and Tony looked at Mimi in surprise. "You heard what I said to Tim?"

Mimi shook her head. "Not clearly, but I knew what you were saying."

"What did you say, and when was this?" Ziva asked.

Tony straightened himself up so he was more upright. "It was when Abby entered the Chapel and started coming down the aisle. I could feel McGee start to lose it, so I just put my hand on his shoulder, you know, to calm him and keep him together."

"That was nice, Tony. What did you say to him?" Gibbs asked.

"Don't ever forget this moment." Tony answered simply.

Ziva had tears in her eyes, remembering when she first saw Tony standing at the Altar, waiting for her to join him.

"That's lovely, Tony. I will never forget your face when Gibbs walked me down the aisle."

Tony put his arm around Ziva and looked up at the stars. They all knew he was putting on a manly face because he didn't want to cry in front of them.

Karina saved the day by giving out a big yawn. "Well, someone is finally tired." Mimi said. Ziva started to get up, but Mimi waved her off.

"You look so comfortable there. Would it be ok with you guys if Jethro and I put Karina to bed? We haven't done it in a while."

Ziva smiled. "Of'course. Thank you Mimi, Abba." Mimi gave Karina to Ziva and Tony to kiss goodnight, then took her back. She and Gibbs then took the baby upstairs.

Ziva sighed. "I wish Mimi and Gibbs were younger. Then they could have a child of their own."

Tony looked at Ziva in shock. "Really? Well, actually, Gibbs can father a child until he dies I'm pretty sure. I guess Mimi is the factor here. I can't imagine them wanting a baby now.

They are not even married, though between you and me and the lamp post I think Gibbs is considering it."

This time Ziva looked surprised. "Why do you think that? And what does a lamp post have to do with anything?"

Tony laughed. "It's just an old saying and I suppose at one time it made sense, but don't ask me what it originally meant." He paused. "I asked Gibbs how serious things were between him and Mimi."

Ziva sucked in her breath. "When was this?"

Tony had to think about for a while. "I'm pretty sure it was when he and Bailey walked me home after the 4th of July Party, because I never would have asked that if Mimi was anywhere around."

Ziva considered that. "So what did he say?"

"Oh, he was noncommittal and cagey, but he did say he wasn't ruling anything out and that his family would be the first to know."

"Well, I would take that to mean he _is_ considering marriage again. They both seem really happy with the way things are, though." Ziva murmured.

"Yep, so who knows?" Tony yawned.

Ziva chuckled. "You need to get to bed as well, Tony."

Tony shook his head. "Only if you come with."

**Sunday, September 15, 2013**

Tim and Abby were sitting in their seats, the plane already in descent into the San Diego International Airport/ Lindbergh Field.

Gibbs had taken them to Ronald Reagan Airport that morning, having first dropped Jethro off at their house. They decided it would give Bailey and Jethro more quality time together.

Mimi had an emergency delivery, so she was not able to see them off. Abby clutched at Tim's hand with excitement as she caught site of Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

"Oh, Timmy! It's so beautiful! I can't believe we're actually here."

Tim was grinning ear to ear. He had spent part of his life here, as a Navy brat, and was looking forward to seeing the city again. They were staying in the beautiful Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island.

The North Island Naval Air Station was located, as appropriately named, at the northern part of the island. This was where his father had been stationed as a Commander while Tim was younger.

The location was perfect: it had gorgeous beaches; it was close to downtown, and Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo and they had easy access to the freeways if they decided to drive up the coast.

They were efficiently checked into their room, which had an ocean view. It was breathtaking and Abby stood out on the balcony breathing in the salt air.

"The Atlantic Ocean really is different from the Pacific. I never realized that before." She said.

Tim came behind her and put his arms around her. "Bigger waves?"

He rubbed Abby's arms. "We're going to have to make sure you are covered up or smeared with sunscreen. It may not be hot here, but the sun is just as cruel."

Abby turned around and put her arms around his shoulders. "I don't care if we don't leave our room the entire time we are here." She kissed her husband; she still wasn't use to calling him that.

Tim chuckled. "Yeah, you say that now. Pretty soon, though you'll want to go all over the place."

Tim was right. Once they settled in and got something to eat, off they went to explore. First they just went around the island. Tim and Abby's NCIS badges got them on the base.

Tim wanted to see if the housing he grew up in was still around, but he doubted it. At least, he hoped it wasn't. It would be fairly old by now and he pitied any officers who had to live in such outdated quarters.

He drove to the street he lived on and was not surprised to see the old housing was gone. Instead, there were newer two-story homes, appropriate for the rank the officer held.

Tim pulled up and stopped. "This is where our house was. I wish that was what we lived in back then." The house was actually quite nice; all of the homes were, done in the Spanish architectural style that was so predominant in San Diego.

They had dinner in La Jolla. It was a beautiful sea-side restaurant. Tim ordered sushi and Abby had the Pacific sea bass.

As soon as their orders arrived, Abby turned a deathly pale. "Uh, I'll be right back, Timmy." She was out of her chair before Tim could respond.

She walked as quickly as she could without running and headed straight for the ladies room. Just when she thought she wasn't going to make it, she got in the stall just in time to empty to contents of her stomach.

"Oh, my God." Abby moaned. She had thrown up yesterday morning, but attributed that to jitters. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to handle the look and smell of the sushi.

She was confused. Her period was late, but wasn't it too soon for morning sickness? She decided it was just the stress of the wedding and would try to hide it from Tim. No sense worrying him, too.

She left the ladies room and ran smack into Tim. "Tim! You scared me!" Abby protested.

"Well, you scared me, taking off like that. Are you ok?"

Abby looked sheepish. "Yeah, I just all of a sudden had to pee really badly. I hope that didn't ruin our dinner." Tim smiled in relief and put his arm around her waist.

"No, we're fine. Come on, let's go back and have something to eat."

Abby was relieved that the nausea had gone as quickly as it had appeared and immensely enjoyed her meal. They shared a decadent chocolate mousse cake dessert.

Once they got back to the hotel, they went for a walk on the beach. The evening was chilly, and Abby needed a wrap.

Tim took Abby into his arms. "I am so happy, Abby. I can't believe you are my wife." He kissed her deeply. Abby responded and deepened the kiss.

"Mr. and Mrs. Timothy McGee; it does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" Abby smiled.

"Yes it does. Hey, you're shivering. Let's get back inside, where I can show my wife how much I love her."

"Your wife says absolutely."

The next week was spent exploring San Diego. Abby really wanted to go to the Zoo and was delighted with the beautiful park in the Balboa area that is was attached to.

They had a really nice visit when Sarah was able to come down for the night. She had friends in San Diego that she insisted on staying with. "There is no way I am sleeping in the same room as my brother on his honeymoon!" She declared.

All too soon, it was time to head back to DC. Abby had been sick a couple more times but had been able to keep it from Tim. As much as she wanted to be pregnant, she was worried that something was wrong.

If she was pregnant, she was only "just." From what she knew about pregnant women, and what Ziva and Breena went through, they did not suffer from morning sickness the second they were late.

Ok, maybe she was exaggerating, but certainly they had been more than a week and a half late before it started, hadn't they?

She looked at Tim, sleeping with a smile on his face. She didn't want to get his hopes up because she wrongly suspected wedding jitters for morning sickness.

She decided she would talk to Mimi and Ziva when they got back to get their take on things. That is if she was still sick and hadn't gotten her period.

She snuggled into Tim and he automatically tightened his arm around her. Abby smiled widely, her dimples deep. She was the luckiest woman in the world.

**Washington, DC**

As many of the team that could get together decided to surprise Tim and Abby and meet them at the airport when they arrived home. Gibbs, Mimi, Tony, Ziva, Karina, Lily and Ducky were waiting at the terminal. Jimmy, Breena and Jamie were out of town visiting with his parents.

Tim and Abby were holding hands as they came out of the tunnel. Since 9/11, only passengers were allowed beyond the check points, so they wouldn't see anyone until they walked around the security scanners for those getting ready to embark.

As they turned the corner, they were greeted with balloons and a big sign "Welcome Home Newlyweds Tim and Abby!"

Abby squealed in delight and Tim broke into a huge smile. They were expecting only Gibbs to pick them up. This was way cool of the team to show up together.

Abby of'course tried to hug everyone at once, but had to settle with three sets of hugs.

"You look wonderful and so relaxed. Maybe we should go to San Diego, yes Tony?" Ziva grinned.

"It was _so_ great!" Abby bubbled. "It is so beautiful there, though the time difference is hard to adjust to. I liked it better than LA. Felt more like a small town than a large city, if that makes sense."

"Well, we're glad to have you back. Jethro has been having a great time with Bailey, but every time I walked him he tried to go to your house." Gibbs gave his crooked amused smile.

Tim laughed. "Well, at least he didn't try to walk you back to our old apartment." Everyone laughed at that. They got their luggage and as originally planned; Tim and Abby rode home with Gibbs and Mimi.

Lily hitched a ride with Tony and Ziva so she could spend some extra time with Karina. Despite dropping two classes, her fall schedule was brutal.

Tony looked in the rear-view mirror. "Hey 'Li-Li'. Is the big date still on this Saturday?

Lily smiled at Tony mimicking how Karina called her name. "Yes, and thanks again for the gazillionth time for offering your home theater. It's a really cool idea."

"So what are the logistics again?" Ziva turned enough so that she could see Lily.

Lily beamed, happy with the anticipation of not only seeing Sean after so long; but to be finally going out on a date. "Sean's parents are going to drop him off at your place at 7 p.m.; Tony will give us the tour and show us how to work everything and I guess you guys will hang out upstairs.

Sean's parents will be at Mom and Daddy's for dinner. Hopefully, Sean's dad will not antagonize him like he did at the hospital."

Tony laughed. "You heard about that, huh?"

"Oh, yeah. Sean thought it was hilarious. His Dad is actually still quite embarrassed about it Tony, so _please_ don't say anything about it, ok?"

Tony looked shocked. "I wouldn't dream of saying anything." He looked sideways at Ziva, who rolled her eyes.

"Yes you would and I am being serious. Please Tony."

Tony this time did look genuinely shocked. "Lily-pad, I would never do anything that might harm this budding romance. Ziva and Abby are already planning the wedding."

"Tony, stop! Do not listen to him, Lily. There is no rush. You have not even gone out yet, it is silly to say something like that." Ziva shot daggers at her husband.

"Someone's in the dog-house, baby girl." Lily whispered to Karina.

"Doggy!" Karina laughed. Tony and Ziva looked at each other, and then burst out laughing. That was the first time she had said "doggy", but it funny that she said it in the context that Lily was referring to.

Tony looked at Ziva. "Am I in the dog house?" Ziva just smiled at him.

_**Thanks as always for the great reviews. It's been a busy week, so a little slower with the updates, but not too late.**_


	28. Chapter 28

"_**Tony, stop! Do not listen to him, Lily. There is no rush. You have not even gone out yet, it is silly to say something like that." Ziva shot daggers at her husband.**_

"_**Someone's in the dog-house, baby girl." Lily whispered to Karina.**_

"_**Doggy!" Karina laughed. Tony and Ziva looked at each other, then burst out laughing. That was the first time she had said "doggy", but it funny that she said it in the context that Lily was referring to.**_

_**Tony looked at Ziva. "Am I in the dog house?" Ziva just smiled at him.**_

Chapter Twenty-Eight: "Being Positive"

They stopped by Gibbs' and Mimi's to drop off Lily, and realized that Tim and Abby were still there.

"Hi! I suppose you guys are really tired and want to get home. I certainly hope you took a lot of pictures." Tony said.

"We did, Tony. I can guarantee that no pictures of Abby in a bikini will find its way onto anyone's desktop." They both laughed, remembering the picture of Ziva that not only ended up on Tim's computer but also up on the wall of Tony's bunk when he was the Agent Afloat.

Ziva also remembered, and glared at the both of them, but she couldn't keep it up for long. Those pictures were now framed and in their bedroom.

Mimi brought out lemonade and iced tea. "Why don't you let Jethro settle down from seeing you again before you head home? Let him work out all of his excess energy and excitement here with Bailey."

They agreed that was a good idea. "Speaking of which, I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of doing some building in our backyard." Gibbs walked them all to the back corner of their home where it butted up against Tim's and Abby's

Tim and Abby stood there in shock. In the span of a week, Gibbs had designed and built a new gate that when it was opened, it combined their two yards.

It was beautiful, with a gazebo type arch and a double-door gate. It locked on both sides.

"Boss, that is absolutely amazing!" Tim admired the handy-work.

"Well, as I said, I hope you don't mind that I really didn't consult you about this or how it should look."

"No, Gibbs. It is perfect!" Abby bubbled with excitement. "Just think how much fun the dogs are going to have when they have both yards to run around in!" Trust Abby to think of the dogs first.

"I guess we'll just have to build a tunnel to connect to our house." Tony grumbled.

Abby put her arm through Tony's. "Awww…are you sad you can't share?"

Tony pretended to sniff. "No, I'll just look the other way, and not take this as a slight."

Gibbs slapped the back of Tony's head. "Thank you, Boss. You know I'm kidding. It looks great."

But his eyes widend mischievously. "But a tunnel _would_ be seriously cool!" Ziva just shook her head. She looked at Abby who was smiling, but when she saw Ziva, she cocked her head toward the house, like she wanted to talk to her privately.

Abby turned and caught Mimi's attention as well, doing the same thing. Ziva and Mimi looked at each other.

"Uh, Abby. I know you just got home, but Lily wanted me to ask you if she could talk to you real quick about one of her classes."

"Sure! No problem." She turned to Tim, Gibbs and Tony. "You just stay here and plan on building some more things." She surprised them by taking Karina from Gibbs.

"Is Karina also going to give Lily some advice?" Gibbs asked, showing his crooked smile.

"My niece is brilliant and must put in her two cents." At that Abby took off toward the house, she and Karina deep in conversation.

Ziva started to follow them. Tony frowned. "Ziva, where are you going?"

Ziva looked at her husband. "Where do you think?" She shrugged.

Tony grinned and turned back to Tim and Gibbs. "What did that mean?" Tim asked Tony.

Tony put his hand on Tim's shoulder and looked serious. "A pregnant woman and her bladder are on a first-name basis."

Tim looked confused, and then smiled. "Oh, ok. I get it."

They all watched their lady loves walk into the house.

"Ziva looks good, Tony. This pregnancy seems easier than with Karina."

Tony nodded at Gibbs. "We talked about that and think so too. It could be because we've been through it before. And we haven't, knock on wood, had the same stressful events that we had last year."

Tim and Gibbs both nodded at that. Tony slapped Tim's back. "So, how was San Diego?"

Once they got inside the house, Abby turned to them. "Can we go someplace so we can talk privately?" Ziva tried to not look concerned. Mimi showed no signs of worry.

"Sure, we can go upstairs to the spare bedroom." Mimi led them to the fourth bedroom, the last one at the end of the hall.

Abby sat on the bed and looked at her friends. "I have some questions for you…some medical questions." She snuggled Karina.

"Be-Be." Karina kissed her.

Ziva smiled at her daughter, but looked confused at Abby. "Why would you ask _me_ a medical question?"

Mimi smiled. "Perhaps Ziva, because you have already been and are presently pregnant?"

Ziva's eyes widened. "Abby? Are you pregnant?

Abby handed Karina over to Ziva and started wringing her hands. "I don't know; that's why I want to talk to you. I'm worried."

Mimi went over to sit with Abby on the bed, as her nursing side took over. "Ok, tell us what's going on." She asked quietly.

Abby took a deep breath. "Ok. Well, I am late, about, ok, well two and half weeks now. But I started throwing up about a week ago."

Mimi nodded. "The day of your wedding."

Abby's eyes widened. "You knew about that?"

Mimi chuckled. "Of'course I did. Nothing escapes me, from a medical standpoint."

"Or from any standpoint. Can anyone join this party, or is this a private thing?" Lily was standing in the doorway.

"No, please Lily. Come in. Especially since we are using you as the excuse for us to all come in to the house." Abby motioned in.

"Well, my excuse was that I had to pee." Ziva added.

The women all laughed at that, dispelling some of the stress Abby had coming off of her in waves.

Lily was intrigued. She shut the door, knowing she had barged in on something and didn't want anyone else to show up unannounced.

Abby nodded, unable to argue with that viewpoint. "Ok, so I threw up after only being late a week and a half. I thought it was pre-wedding jitters."

"Hang on!" Lily interrupted. "Don't forget I came in after you started. Abby, do you think you are pregnant?"

Mimi looked at her daughter. "We are discussing 'symptoms' Abby has been having and that she is concerned about, and yes: it could be about being pregnant. Sorry, Abby. Please continue."

Abby smiled, despite her concern, at Mimi's succinct analysis of their conversation to date. "But then I threw up again several times in San Diego. I was able to keep it from Tim. I don't want him to be disappointed again."

Ziva spoke at this. "What do you mean, Abby, you do not want Tim to be disappointed again?

Abby looked at her friend, her eyes dark with emotion. "We decided to go ahead and try to get pregnant in July. I got my period on the day of Lily's accident. So, we've already failed once."

Mimi took Abby's hands. "Abby, neither of you can look upon it as a failure. That implies fault. It's nobody's fault. It's just life, and sometimes life sucks." She paused. "But I am not sure what you are exactly worried about."

Abby looked at Mimi. "Should I be having morning sickness this early?" She turned to Ziva. "When did you start having morning sickness with Karina, and little baby in the oven?"

Ziva opened her mouth and then shut it. "I…I am not sure I remember exactly to the day when I first started. I think I realized it was probably morning sickness after I was about a month late the first time with Karina.

Remember, Tony and I were not married so we were not planning on being parents at that time, so it was not on my mind. With this baby, I think I suspected sooner, maybe a little less than three weeks late? I wasn't thinking about it then either." She added.

Abby twisted her pigtail. "See? That makes sense. I think this is wrong. Mimi, what do you think?"

Mimi had been listening quietly as Abby described what she had been experiencing, and then Ziva's response.

"Abby, let me ask you. You said you got your period in August. Was it a normal period?"

Abby looked stumped. "Well, it was a not as bad as it usually is. In fact, it only lasted a day or two. Why?"

Mimi smiled. "I think there is a good possibility that you are pregnant. I think that's what we need to start with. Let's get you tested and find out whether or not you are. Then we can start the pre-natal work-up. But I want you to understand that every pregnancy is different."

Mimi paused. "There are many reasons for you to have severe morning sickness, or have it start earlier than others or even no morning sickness at all. And we won't know until you have an ultrasound, but it could be that you didn't 'fail' as you put it."

Abby frowned. "What do you mean?"

Mimi hesitated. "I'm not telling you this as fact, because we won't know until we do the ultrasound. But it is also not unusual to have a short, scanty period after you have already conceived. It may be possible, Abby that you have been pregnant since August."

Abby looked appalled. "But I drank all that alcohol at my party before the wedding! What if I have done something horrible?"

Ziva spoke up at this point. "Tony and I recently had a conversation about not drinking during pregnancy, stating his mother probably drank socially the entire time she was pregnant with him.

The point being he turned out fine." Ziva deadpanned. The others all chuckled at that. Ziva turned to Abby. "Do not worry about that. Just start from today treating yourself as a mother-to-be."

Abby nodded, stunned by this possible new turn of events. "And you say you have said nothing to Tim about any of this?" Mimi asked.

"About the throwing up? No. If he suspects anything, he hasn't said a word."

"Tony suspected, both times, but he waited for me to tell him." Ziva interjected.

Abby tightened her lips together in that lopsided frown she got when she didn't know what to do, or was unhappy.

"Abby, you're still off tomorrow, right?" Abby nodded. "Ok, come see me tomorrow in the clinic and we can get some answers, ok?"

Abby hugged Mimi. "Thank you. I knew you would know what to do." She hugged Ziva as well.

Ziva smiled. "Why are you hugging me? I have done nothing as far, as I can tell."

"Oh, but you have. You're my friend and you care." Ziva patted Abby's back.

She hugged Lily. "Don't forget. I came up here because you wanted to ask me about one of your classes."

"Got it." She hugged Abby back.

"Babee." Karina announced.

"Yes, Sweetie. Your Mommy is going to have a baby and you are in for a surprise." Mimi's eyes were dancing with laughter.

Ziva just stared at her daughter, surprised at yet another new word.

They headed back downstairs and found the guys still in the backyard. Tony noticed their return first.

"How did things with Lily go?"

"Oh, she's doing great. She just had a question about one of her assignments. She wanted to make sure she was on the right track."

"And I have no doubt she was." Gibbs added dryly.

"You would not be wrong in that assumption, Gibbs." She turned to Mimi. "I haven't seen a student like Lily in_ years_. She will be amazing."

Mimi blushed and Gibbs put his arm around her, the proud father. It truly surprised the team how paternal Gibbs was toward Lily. At first, they thought this relationship might not work out, because of Lily and the pain of him having lost his own daughter.

Instead, Gibbs had embraced Lily as a gift. Not as a replacement, but still grateful that someone had found it in their grace to make these two women a part of his life.

Ziva walked over to Tony. "I am tired. Are you ready to go home?"

Tony frowned. "Are you feeling ok?" After the difficulty of her pregnancy with Karina, Tony tried not to hover over Ziva this time. But he was constantly on the lookout for a flash of discomfort, or some sign that all was not well.

Gibbs had tried to talk some sense into him. "Tony, you can't spend nine months in constant concern and worry. Enjoy it this time, for both of your sakes."

Tony had a hard time giving up what he considered his "role." But he also appreciated what Gibbs was saying to him.

Ziva smiled. "Yes, Daddy. We are fine. I am just tired. It was been a long day."

Tony grinned at Ziva referring to him as "Daddy." He took Karina from her.

"We're going to head on home. Glad you two got home ok. Don't hurry back to work; enjoy your remaining days off."

"Thanks, Tony. See you later, Ziva. Bye-bye, Karina." Tim gave the baby a little wave.

Karina looked at her Uncle. "Bye-bye, Gee-Gee." She gave an attempt at a wave.

Tony looked shocked and looked back at McGee, who was grinning ear to ear to be the recipient of Karina's first wave.

Everyone kissed Karina goodbye. As usual, she placed both of her hands on Gibbs' face, as if having a serious conversation with him.

"Papa." That's all she had to say, and Gibbs' heart melted all over again. He was totally in love with this little baby. He felt worried that the next baby DiNozzo, and any baby Tim and Abby might have would not share the same connection he had with Karina.

"_I guess it's true that the first is always the favorite."_ He thought to himself.

**Monday, September 23, 2013**

Tim and Abby showed up at the clinic around 11 a.m. Abby broke down and told Tim that she had talked to Mimi and she suggested that they come in.

But she didn't say anything about the possibility of her being pregnant. And if Mimi's suggestion was true; that Abby may have been pregnant since August, she wanted Tim there for the first ultrasound.

Tim didn't question anything, although he was concerned since they hadn't really being trying to get pregnant that long. He was just glad Abby wanted him there.

"Mrs. McGee?" The nurse called from the door. Tim had to nudge Abby. "Oh!" She smiled apologetically at Tim. "Sorry, still not used to it!" She gave Tim a big kiss and followed the nurse through the door.

Mimi greeted her and took her into the examination room. "Ok, first let's get some urine, and we'll also do a blood test to see what we have, then go from there, ok?" Mimi handed Abby the cup.

Abby smiled tightly and went into the rest room to pee in the little cup. She missed at first, but finally got what she considered enough inside.

She came out and handed it to Mimi, who handed it to someone else. Mimi then proceeded to draw blood from Abby. "In addition to the HCG, we'll do a full pre-natal panel so we don't have to stick you again."

"My arm thanks you." Abby said, smiling. But inside she was shaking. This was great if she was indeed pregnant. But what if she wasn't? What if there was something terribly wrong with her?

Abby started pacing the room, wringing her hands. In fifteen minutes, Mimi was back. "Sit down, Abby." She said softly.

Abby paled and did as she was told. Mimi silently handed her a piece of paper. Abby took it and read. Only one word stood out: POSITIVE

She looked up at Mimi, who was now smiling. "Does this mean, what I think it means?" Abby gasped. Mimi loved this part of her job, especially when it was a planned and wanted pregnancy.

"Yes, Abby. You and Tim are pregnant."

"Yay!" Abby jumped up and down a bit, and then stopped. "Oops, should I not do that? I mean, I don't want to dislodge anything."

Mimi chuckled and shook her head. "You're good, Abby. But we are going to do the ultrasound so we can see exactly _when_ you got pregnant; July or August.

"I'm going to have the nurse call Tim back so he can be here for the ultrasound. If you are just pregnant, there won't be much to see. But if you've been pregnant since August…" Abby nodded up and down, her pigtails swinging.

About five minutes later, there was a tentative knock on the door and a small "Abby?"

"Come on in, Timmy!" Abby called out. Tim walked in to see his wife lying on a bed, with some blue paper over her chest and tucked below to cover up her lower abdomen, along with some towels.

"Abby, what's going on?" Tim was confused and frankly scared by all of the equipment he saw around his wife of one week and two days.

She held out her hand. "You and I are going to see the first images of our baby."

Tim just stared at her. "Our…baby? Do you mean…our baby?" Tim looked at Mimi looking for the entire world like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Have a seat, Tim, before you fall down. There you go." Mimi instructed him. Tim looked at Abby, wonder in his eyes. "We're pregnant?" He asked her. Abby just grinned and nodded her head up and down.

_**Yay! Wish I had pigtails to swing like Abby. So the question is: when was the baby conceived? Also coming up: Lily and Sean's big date!**_


	29. Chapter 29

"_**Abby, what's going on?" Tim was confused and frankly scared by all of the equipment he saw around his wife of one week and two days.**_

_**She held out her hand. "You and I are going to see the first images of our baby."**_

_**Tim just stared at her. "Our…baby? Do you mean…our baby?" Tim looked at Mimi looking for the entire world like a deer caught in the headlights.**_

"_**Have a seat, Tim, before you fall down. There you go." Mimi instructed him. Tim looked at Abby, wonder in his eyes. "We're pregnant?" He asked her. Abby just grinned and nodded her head up and down.**_

Chapter Twenty-Nine: "Announcement"

Tim kissed Abby before he could think. "Oh, my God. I'm going to be a father. And you, Abby."

"No, Abby's going to be a mother. This is going to be cold." Mimi warned. She squirted a glob of the gel on Abby's tummy and started moving the transducer around.

"Ok, here we go." Mimi said as a dark sac appeared on the screen. Abby and Tim looked closely, trying to see if they could make out anything that looked remotely like a baby.

Mimi was making measurements as she scanned. She turned on the volume and a tiny, very fast heartbeat filled the room.

"Oh my God…" Tears were streaming down Abby's face.

"Isn't that kind of fast?" Tim was just as overwhelmed but he figured he had to be the strong one here.

Mimi nodded. "It is fast and perfectly normal. See this little white line? That's your baby's spine. Here's the head. You can just make out the legs and the arms."

Tim and Abby were mesmerized by the images they were seeing on the machine.

Mimi worked some more figures, marking from point "A" to point "B" and entering the measurement. Finally done, she printed out a strip of photos and handed them to Abby and Tim.

"Well?" Abby asked.

Mimi smiled. "I was right. Based on the date you gave me for your period in July, your due date should be around April 22, 2014. You've been pregnant since August."

They were stunned they had been pregnant this whole time and did not realize it.

Abby was elated but also distressed. "How can I have been pregnant this whole time and not know it?" She cried.

"Hey, ever watch that show 'I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant'? These women all give birth; suddenly amazed they had been pregnant for nine months." Tim paused, seeing Abby's face. "I don't watch it either."

Mimi grasped Abby's hand. "I didn't know I was pregnant with Lily until I was about as far along as you were, so you have done nothing wrong.

The important thing is that you know _now_. We need to get you started on a pre-natal regimen and set up some appointments." Mimi left the room to get her book.

Abby and Tim looked at each other. "Oh my God, Abby. This is real, right?" Tim was trembling.

Abby grabbed his hand. "There are the pictures." She held up the strip in her hand.

Tim stood up. "Well, how do you feel? Do you feel different? Can you tell there's a…baby…inside you?" Tim voice was emotional.

"Right now? Only when I throw up." Abby smiled. She frowned. "My breasts are a little tender, too. I guess we'll have to get all those baby books."

Tim had the biggest grin on his face. "I can't believe this. I was so worried that something was wrong when you told me we were seeing Mimi so soon."

"Well, I thought something _was_ wrong. I thought I might be pregnant because I was having morning sickness."

"Wait, you've been having morning sickness and thought you were pregnant, and you didn't tell me?" Tim looked hurt

"Well, I didn't _really_ think I was pregnant because I thought it was too soon to be having morning sickness. I was scared something _else_ was going on, so I talked to Mimi. It never occurred to me until Mimi asked me about my period I had in August."

"Okay, I guess I don't need all the particulars." Tim grimaced.

Abby looked perplexed. "Well, Timmy. Childbirth is messy and gross. Are you saying you don't want to be there when our baby is born?"

"What? No! I never said that. It's just the other stuff: periods, PMS, you know; female stuff. I guess when we've been married for a while, it will be second nature, but it's all new territory to me right now."

"I'm sorry. I know how weird you get about that kind of stuff. But you're right: you are going to need a crash course in all things _feminine personal _if you are going to help me get through these nine, no seven months." Abby smiled.

"I wonder how Tony was able to do it. Karina was a total surprise, then we had the bombing and they went through so much. Yet he acted like he was born to be a father. I don't have his confidence." Tim sounded embarrassed and disappointed.

Abby smiled and squeezed his hand. "You will have plenty of roll models to help you."

"So, when do we make our announcement?" Tim asked.

"Are you kidding? Everyone to our house; tonight after work. I don't care how late it is." Abby declared.

Mimi came back in and they all worked together to figure out an appointment schedule that worked for all of them, and Abby and Tim's jobs, though they knew Gibbs would be flexible. They just didn't want to take advantage of a good thing.

"Ok, well _professionally_, I will see you next month Abby. I am sure I will see you sooner, _socially_."

"Tonight at our house. We'll just open up the gates so the dogs can run all over the place." Abby grinned.

Mimi smiled and hugged Abby and then Tim. "Congratulations, you two. I know Jethro will be thrilled. But I will let you tell him."

"Thanks, Mimi. See you later." Abby gathered her things and she and Tim left. First they got something to eat, and then texted the team to show up at their house after work, no absences accepted.

They then walked into a Baby-R-Us store and strolled up and down the aisles looking at all the "stuff" there was out there. Of'course, they already had experience buying for babies, with Karina and Jamie. But it was different when it was yours.

**NCIS**

Tony, Ziva's and Gibbs phones all went off at the same time. Tony looked at the text and looked at Ziva. "What in the hell is this about? Didn't we just see them yesterday? I thought they were still on their honeymoon."

"I wouldn't invite anyone over if I was on my honeymoon." Gibbs offered. At that, both Ziva's and Tony's heads snapped up and looked at Gibbs.

Gibbs looked at them with a "what?" look on his face and shrugged. "I'm just saying."

"_Okay…"_ Tony mouthed silently.

Ziva had to hide her smile when she got the text. She figured it must be good news otherwise they would not invite everyone over, but she knew it was not her place to say anything.

They worked quietly for a while. They got a call to go check out a sighting of a dead sailor, but it turned out to be a mannequin dressed up as a sailor.

"I sure hope this wasn't a set-up to get a look at us, Boss." Tony whispered to Gibbs.

Gibbs looked grim. "My thoughts exactly, DiNozzo. Extra precautions, both of you. When we see Tim tonight, we'll let him know, even though he wasn't here."

After they got back to NCIS and wrote up their reports, Gibbs released them for the night. "I guess we'll see you at the McGee's." Tony called out as he and Ziva left.

"Yeah, I guess. Bring Bridget. Bailey hasn't seen her in a while."

"Sure thing, Boss. Later." Tony and Ziva got in the elevator. "Ok, is it just me, or is Gibbs acting _really_ domesticated all of a sudden?"

Ziva smiled, and chuckled a little. "That did seem to be a bit of a slip of the mouth about being on a honeymoon."

"Slip of the tongue, sweetie, which I wouldn't mind giving you right now, but first we have to pick up our genius daughter and head home." Ziva laughed out loud at that, and playfully slapped her husband's arm.

Tony grinned as they got out of the elevator where daycare was. He didn't often get a one-up on Ziva and cherished each one.

**Tim and Abby's Home- North Arlington**

Abby was rushing around, wiping down things. "Abby, the house looks great. Everyone brought the rest of the stuff over while we were away, and everything is put away. Relax."

"I just want it to be perfect." Abby said.

Tim shook his head. "Abby, perfect to you is a banner saying 'We're Pregnant' attached to the ceiling that will come down with the push of a remote control button spraying confetti everywhere."

"Timmy! Why didn't I think of that? There's no time now." Abby sat down on the sofa. Tim sat next to her and put his arm around her. "Abby, everyone will be thrilled, no matter how we tell them."

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home**

Abby had told Mimi they were unlocking their side of the gate so as soon as she got home, she unlocked their side as well and opened the gate. Bailey and Jethro immediately joined forces and began chasing each other through both yards.

She walked back into the house, and started dinner. She knew Jethro would be starved and no matter how insistent Abby was, he would not go over there until he ate something.

"Hi Mom! Got the text from Abby. Good news, I guess?"

Mimi looked up as her daughter came in the front door. "That's for Abby and Tim to share and do not say a word to Jethro. I already had to tell him about Ziva and Tony before they got a chance. I don't like taking that away."

Lily grinned, knowing she had just gotten what she wanted out of her mother. "Mmmm…something smells good. What are you making?"

Mimi smiled. "I'm just heating up some pot roast from the other night. I don't like to keep leftovers too long. Wish I had time to make homemade rolls." Mimi busied herself in the kitchen.

Lily leaned against the door opening into the kitchen, watching her mother work. "Mom? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, honey. What is it?" Mimi continued with grabbing dishes and silverware.

"Are you and Daddy ever going to get married?"

Mimi stopped in mid-motion. She slowly turned around and faced her only child. "Why are you asking that, Lily?"

"Well…you _have_ been together now for a while. As far as _I'm_ concerned he's my Dad; and I _want_ you to get married."

Mimi sighed. "Sit down, Lily." Lily looked concerned and sat down as instructed. Mimi joined her. "Wishing for something doesn't make it happen. Jethro and I have only been together, well, nine months.

I am really enjoying my relationship with him and thankfully he seems to be enjoying it as well. But I don't think Jethro really wants to get married again."

Lily took her Mom's hand. "Will that be enough for you? To be the pseudo wife?"

Mimi's eyes opened wide at that. "I don't think of it that way, Lily. I love Jethro, he loves me and I know he loves you. If this is all I am able to get from him, then it will be enough. He's worth it."

Lily got up and hugged her Mom. "Ok, I just want to make sure you're happy."

"Oh, 'Li-Li', I couldn't be happier. You can see that, can't you?" Mimi chuckled as she used Karina's name for her daughter and brushed her hair over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I see it. I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, Lily."

"Hey, can anybody join this party, or is it private?" Gibbs was standing at the entry way.

Lily and Mimi both turned at his voice. As one, they stretched out an arm. Gibbs grinned and joined the circle. "This is nice, coming home to my girls."

His grin faded when he saw tears in Lily's eyes. "Hey, Lily. Are you ok? What's wrong?"

Lily wiped her nose like a little kid. "Nothing, Daddy. I'm fine. I'll be right back." She ran up the stairs to her bedroom.

Gibbs' eyes followed her up the stairs then turned questioning eyes to Mimi. She placed her hand on his chest. "You're her Daddy. That's all, Jethro."

Gibbs considered that for a few moments. This young woman, who had never had a father, now had him. He felt a little overwhelmed, thinking how much she had accepted and welcomed him into hers and Mimi's world.

"Are you sure she's ok?" Gibbs persisted. He didn't like crying women, for any reason.

Mimi pointed to a seat and went in the kitchen. She came out with plates of steaming pot roast and heated rolls. Mimi took her seat. "She's fine. She's just happy."

Gibbs shook his head. Never in his life will he understand the female mind, but that didn't mean he didn't love them.

"So, I got this text from Abby. We're supposed to go over to their house _as soon as we get home from work_." Gibbs changed the subject.

Mimi grinned and chuckled. "Lily and I got the same text. You'd think they'd seen enough of us already. Anyway, she asked me to open the gate from our side. Bailey and Jethro have been playing since I got home."

Gibbs smiled at that. He was glad they liked the gate and he was amused at Tony feeling left out. Oh, well. There was no way in hell he was going to dig a tunnel to connect his house to the DiNozzo home.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

As soon as they got home, Ziva got busy getting Karina her dinner. Tony rummaged around the fridge and pulled out the lasagna they had the night before. He held it up for Ziva's approval.

She looked up and nodded. "I think we have some Italian bread as well, Tony." She turned back to feeding Karina, who was helping. Ziva let her pick up her green beans and put them in her mouth.

"I will be done here soon. I can give Karina a quick bath while dinner is still heating, or we can wait until we get back home." Ziva looked at Tony.

He had put the pan in the oven to reheat and was currently giving Bridget her dinner. "That's sounds good. That part about giving Karina her bath first. Who knows how long Abby will want us to stick around."

"Well, Karina will not miss her bedtime. If it looks like it will be a longer visit, I will just come back home with her."

"Not by yourself you won't. You heard what Gibbs said."

Ziva sighed. "Do you really think someone set that up just to see what we look like? It would be easier to just park on the street and take our photos."

"Not if you don't know which employees are the Agents." Tony interjected. "Look, I know you hate it when we go on alert like this."

"I do not like having my personal life disrupted, especially now that we have Karina." Tony came over and rubbed her shoulders.

"That makes it all the more important that we keep vigilant. I'm not letting anyone near you or my daughter." Tony spoke a little too forcefully, causing Karina to startle and look at him. Too big crocodile tears started to slide down her chubby cheeks.

"Oh, Daddy's sorry, sweetie. Daddy loves his Karina and loves Mommy very much."

Karina smiled at her Daddy. "Papa?"

Tony looked at Ziva, who was trying to cover her chuckle. "Yes, I love Papa, too." He looked at Ziva. "You tell him I said that and I will…"

"You will…what?" Ziva stood up and looked provocatively at her husband.

Tony knew it was threat he would never finish. "Nothing, honey." Tony smiled his fake DiNozzo grin he always gave when he was bested.

Ziva smirked. "Ok, upstairs we go Karina for your bath." Karina clapped and laughed.

Ziva bathed her in record time and had her in her pajamas and the playpen while they quickly ate their dinner. While Ziva was just finishing up with Karina, Tony had received an impatient text from Abby: "Where R U? Almost all here."

"K to take care of, then eat. 20 min. T." Tony texted back, reminding her that they had a demanding baby who came first.

Tony refused to wolf down his dinner, to appease Abby. He would suffer all night if he did that. Ziva ate a healthy portion, as Baby 2.0 was affecting her appetite.

Finally finished with dinner, they refrained from cleaning up the kitchen to avoid further Abby anxiety. Karina was put in her stroller and Tony put the leash on Bridget.

Together, they walked the next street over to Tim and Abby's. Tony kept moving his eyes back and forth, looking for something out of the ordinary, a strange car; a person not known walking in the neighborhood.

"Relax, Tony. You are scaring Karina." Ziva whispered.

"I am?" Tony was totally surprised by that. Tony barely raised his hand to ring the doorbell when Abby through the door open.

"There you are! What took you so long?" Abby was cross. "Hi, Karina!" Her mood immediately changed to one of joy.

"Be-Be!" Karina raised her arms. Abby obediently took her out of her stroller, with Tony and Ziva following her.

"You can let Bridget out back. Jethro and Bailey have been out there playing for a while. They will be happy to see her." Tim offered.

"OK." Tony took Bridget to the deck and unleashed her. She took off happily and was soon playing with her boyfriends.

Tony came back into the house. It was crowded, as everyone was there.

Abby went and stood next to Tim and grabbed his hand. "Well, first of all, Abby and I want to thank everyone for being able to come over on short notice. We have something we would like to share with you." Tim began.

Mimi, Ziva and Lily were grinning. Tim and Abby looked at each other and silently counted together: _three_-_two-one…_

"WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!"

Tony's mouth dropped open and looked at Ziva, knowing she probably already knew. "Excellent, McStud and McStudette. Congratulations!"

He hugged Abby, who was jumping up and down so much it was quite hard to do. "Guess you're really happy about this, huh?" Grinning, he shook Tim's hand, and then gave him a hug. "Welcome to the club, man."

Tim's smile was plastered on his face. Everyone offered their congratulations and was appropriately surprised that Abby had been pregnant since August.

"Hey, you're due only one month after Baby 2.0." Tony commented.

"Tony, you have got to come up with something better than Baby 2.0. It is…obnoxious." Ziva complained.

"Well, when we have our ultrasound next week and find out the baby's sex, we can start referring to him by name." He reasoned.

"Or her." Ziva reminded him.

"Yes; or her." Tony agreed.

Gibbs waited until everyone had congratulated Tim and Abby, and then went up to them last. He smiled his crooked, proud smile and opened his arms to his favorite.

"Oh, Gibbs. You're going to be a Grandpa again." Abby had tears in her eyes.

"I know, Abbs. Thank you." He kissed her forehead. "Tim, always take care of them." He took his hand and pulled him into a hug and patted his back.

"You got it, Boss. Always." Tim answered proudly.

_**Thanks again for the support. Sometimes the writing flows, sometimes I really have to wrack my brain. But I promise next chapter is Lily and Sean's big first date!**_


	30. Chapter 30

_**Gibbs waited until everyone had congratulated Tim and Abby, and then went up to them last. He smiled his crooked, proud smile and opened his arms to his favorite.**_

"_**Oh, Gibbs. You're going to be a Grandpa again." Abby had tears in her eyes.**_

"_**I know, Abbs. Thank you." He kissed her forehead. "Tim, always take care of them." He took his hand and pulled him into a hug and patted his back.**_

"_**You got it, Boss. Always." Tim answered proudly.**_

Chapter Thirty: "Big Date"

As predicted, the party looked to last into the evening, and Ziva decided she needed to get Karina to bed. Tony agreed and they said their goodnights, gathered up their "kids" and walked home.

This time, it was Ziva who was on alert. Tony tensed beside her, but said conversationally, "What's up? Are your ninja senses picking up any vibes?"

Ziva ignored him and continued her eye sweep. Tony didn't like that she didn't answer him and put his arm through hers. At that, she came out of her vigilance, and looked at him.

She smiled softly. "Sorry, Tony." She whispered. "You started it. No, I do not sense any threat. But I am…annoyed…that I have to act this way at our home."

Tony nodded, removing his arm from hers, and instead wrapping it around her waist. "It is what it is, the nature of the beast." He said.

Ziva looked at him, confused. "What?"

"Comes with the job. We've had this conversation before." Tony said, quietly.

Ziva thought back to that awful moment in the elevator, when she had to leave autopsy because she was so upset about Mike Franks. It was that moment, of all moments, that she knew she had truly left her old life behind.

Ziva David, Mossad Officer, would never have allowed herself the "luxury" of mourning a fallen comrade. In fact, she wouldn't have mourned the person at all.

It was expected. The only question was: when would it be you? She shuddered involuntarily.

Tony tightened his hold on his wife, knowing she was remembering Mike. "Sorry." He said. "I didn't mean to bring back bad memories."

Ziva leaned into her husband. "It is as you said. 'It comes with the job.' And I accept that, as long as it stays 'on the job'." She said softly.

They did not subscribe to Gibbs' propensity for leaving his front door unlocked. In fact, they had installed an alarm system in their home before they even moved in, along with security cameras and motion sensor lighting.

There was already a "Neighborhood Watch" system in place; probably because of all of the nefarious activity that had taken place at Gibbs' house throughout the years.

Tony and Ziva had immediately involved themselves, but got sidelined by her difficult pregnancy. Tony made a mental note to himself to find out if it was still active, and if not; he would damn well reactivate it.

He had talked to McGee when they got their house. The fact that Tony and Ziva had a home alarm system was convincing argument enough for Tim.

Tony didn't understand how Mimi felt safe in Gibbs' house, other than blind love and blind faith that Gibbs would always be there to save the day. He made another mental note to himself to talk to Gibbs, useless though it may be.

**Saturday Night- DiNozzo House**

It was 6:45 and Lily was pacing. After trying on about twenty outfits, she finally went with her flirty-girl look: a not too sexy, but looking pretty hot outfit. There were the appropriate holes in her top and jeans, revealing but not revealing.

She wore a little bit more eye make-up than she did at school, and wore her blonde hair down and wavy. Tony whistled when he saw her, causing her to blush. Gibbs had driven her over.

She was used to the walking boot, but she wanted to wear pretty shoes tonight, so they gave her ankle a rest and took the car rather than walk.

It was unclear to Tony what Gibbs thought of her outfit, as he just kind of rolled his eyes. But the tenderness of the kiss to her temple and to "have fun but not too much fun," was nice to see and humorous, at least to Tony and Ziva.

Lily just said, "Dad!" and shook her head.

Right on time, Sean was dropped off by his parents. Gibbs stuck around to meet this young man his "daughter" was so besotted with.

He was tall, but not as tall as Tony, maybe six feet. His hair was sandy colored and he had the same piercing bright blue eyes of Gibbs.

His hair was short, but styled in that spiky way the young men currently wear. He was actually dressed rather decently, wearing a button-downed dark blue shirt and dark brown khakis.

He was still wearing his left arm in a sling, the cast removed but his armed wrapped tightly in a pressure bandage.

From what Gibbs could see, he didn't have any tattoos or piercings, so he made it through the "first" investigation unscathed.

Not that he had anything against tattoos; as long as they were on Abby.

Lily made the introductions, chatting brightly and a little nervously. Sean was polite and courteous. Satisfied, Gibbs took his leave. Ziva walked him out.

"She will be fine, Gibbs. He is very cute!"

"Yeah, I guess…" Gibbs grumbled, then smiled at Ziva and headed back home.

Tony took the couple downstairs and showed them how to work the home theater system. Sean's mouth dropped open at the volume of Tony's collection.

"I love Hitchcock!" He exclaimed. "And Bond! Man, what a great collection."

Sean was immediately in Tony's "Best Buds" club after that. The downstairs wet bar was well stocked, and there were plenty of munchies.

"Ok, here's the deal." Tony told the two. "You are supposed to be at an actual movie theater. Therefore, despite your ages, you can only drink what you can get at an actual theater." Tony had just invoked the "no alcohol" rule.

"I know you drink, so don't look shocked. Now, if you had planned to go for a drink after the movie, that's fine. Call me, and I will be the bartender.

Oh, and one other thing: I remember being in college and going to the movies and not seeing a single film, since all I did was make out." At that, Sean and Lily kind of looked around everywhere except each other.

"Make out all you want, but that bedroom is off-limits. The only children that will be conceived in this house will be mine and Ziva's. Are we clear?" Tony looked seriously at both of them.

Lily gasped, and Sean blushed. "Tony! Wash your mouth out with soap and go to the woodshed! This is our first date, for God's sake. Give us some credit for being adults." Lily resembled her mother so much at that point, Tony chuckled.

"Oh, I know you are adults, 'Li-Li', I just want you to be responsible ones. Ziva and I will be upstairs if you need anything. Have fun." At that he headed up the stairs.

Lily and Sean looked at each other for a few minutes. "Wow…he was kind of intimidating. And he is not even your Dad." Sean looked a little pale.

Lily smiled. "Oh, he's a big teddy bear, don't worry about him. Come on; let's pick out something to watch."

Sean acted the gentleman, and let Lily pick out the movie. So she reciprocated the gesture by picking "Quantum of Solace." They got their sodas, a big bowl of popcorn and sat in the theater-style chairs and started the movie.

Sean was like Tony: he liked talking through the movie, talking excitedly about upcoming scenes and yelling at stupid moves by characters he thought should know better.

Having already witnessed this by Tony, Lily was more amused than alarmed. About half-way through the movie, Sean pulled the classic "raising my arms in a big yawn" move and ended up with an arm around Lily's shoulder, although he was only able to raise his right arm.

She felt all tingly and excited_. "Chill, girl."_ She scolded herself. She had several boyfriends, from Middle School to present, none too terribly serious. But there was something about Sean.

She sensed it from the moment they met. It made her nervous and excited all at once. Her mom had met him in the hospital, when she had taken Lily to visit him in his room before she was discharged.

He wasn't exactly at his best, but she could tell her mom approved. She didn't realize how important that was until she felt it.

As they movie ended, they clapped appropriately. "Do you want to watch another movie? We normally would be leaving as the credits are rolling." Sean had turned to his right, so he was looking at Lily.

Those big blue eyes melted Lily, and she found herself looking at his mouth, then back up to his eyes. Encouraged, Sean leaned in and tentatively kissed her.

Since Lily did not push him away, he felt encouraged and tried a more passionate kiss. Lily responded and soon they were, as Tony put it, "making out."

"Wow." Sean whispered. "I knew you were special the minute I laid eyes on you. I never believed you would ever give me the time of day."

"Sean Fuller, you are a bigger nerd than I thought!" Lily said, exasperated. "Shut up and kiss me."

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home**

Mimi welcomed Sean's parents in while Gibbs had waited with Lily for Sean. "Andrew, Susanne: welcome. Jethro will here shortly. May I get you something to drink?"

They followed Mimi out onto the deck and admired the backyard.

"You have a baby?" Susanne asked. "That looks brand new, so it couldn't be the one Lily played on." She was looking at the play set that Gibbs had built.

Mimi blushed. "Oh, no. Not me. Jethro's Agents. The place you dropped off Sean belongs to Tony and Ziva. Jethro built this for their daughter. They are now expecting again, and two more of his team are married and actually live behind us.

They just found out that they are expecting as well, so we will have lots of babies in this house."

Andrew Fuller looked surprised but smiled. "That's nice that Jethro is so close with his team. I can't see my boss building a play set for Sean when he was a kid."

Susanne laughed. "Yeah, that's a for sure." They settled down with iced tea and chatted comfortably. Soon, Gibbs returned.

They all shook hands again. "Listen, about that time in the hospital…" Andrew started.

Gibbs shook his head. "Nah…never apologize for being a concerned father. If our positions were reversed, I probably would have done the same thing."

They actually had a nice evening. They agreed that their Lily and Sean seemed genuinely attached, even though this was technically their first date.

"But they have known each other, or of each other, since January, and that's nine months. If it wasn't for that damn car accident, I am sure they would have started dating then." Mimi said.

"Well, I guess we'll find out. So Tony has a home theater?" Andrew asked.

Gibbs chuckled. "Oh, he has a 'Man Cave.' I can't tell you what he has in there, just that it is state of the art and probably rivals any real theater in this area."

Mimi smiled. "It _is_ pretty cool. We've watched a few movies at their place. And Tony and Ziva will keep their distance, but be available if needed. It's a perfect first date considering Sean is still on the mend and can't exactly drive or go out dancing."

They all nodded. "How is Sean doing?" Gibbs asked.

Susanne smiled. "He's doing well. He still is doing PT but they will probably be discharging him in two weeks. He's allowed to take the sling off for short periods daily, and PT and OT have him doing all sorts of exercises."

Andrew snorted. "That was his biggest concern. His 'guns' wouldn't match." He shook his head, laughing at his son.

"So in additional to being brilliant, he is also athletic?" Mimi asked.

"Football, basketball, swims, runs, plays tennis- pretty much if there is a sport, he's done it. He likes to work out, too."

Gibbs nodded approvingly. "So, what are his plans after college?"

Andrew and Susanne looked at each. "More college?" They both laughed. "He's a knowledge junkie. I'm not sure where he wants to end up. He's already had offers for future employment by some big companies, including our Government...and our Military."

Sean's dad shrugged. "I don't think he's decided yet."

They were all silent, thinking that decision may possibly depend upon a certain young lady.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

Tony and Ziva were relaxing upstairs, Ziva with her inevitable book, and Tony was watching some old Cary Grant movie on TCM. His phone vibrated.

Picking it up, he looked at Ziva. "Love calls." He said. He got up and gave Ziva a kiss. "Need anything before I go downstairs and monitor alcohol intake?"

Ziva smiled. "Some tea would be lovely, thank you Tony. And maybe also some crackers? We're hungry again." Tony leaned down and kissed her small baby bump and went into the kitchen. "And some cheese!" Ziva called out.

He returned with some hot tea and the requested box of crackers and small slices of cheese. He then knocked loudly on the door, to warn them that he was coming down and to make sure they were presentable if necessary.

"Coming down the stairs." He announced. He found Sean and Lily standing in the room, looking at him with amused looks.

"We-elll…look at you two! Have fun? What did you watch? Did you watch?"

Lily punched Tony in the arm. "As a matter of fact we watched a James Bond movie, so you should be proud."

Tony smiled. "Bond? Sweet!" He held his fist out to Sean, who promptly touched his to Tony's.

"Am I assuming we are at the 'after movie, at the bar' phase of this date?"

They looked at each other, and it was not lost on Tony that they were holding hands. "Ok, I promised Gibbs that I would not return two drunken young kids to their parents. So, you are allowed one drink, I suggest you make it a good one."

Sean looked hesitant and then looked at Lily. "Oh, man, Sean. Don't tell me she has you whipped already! Have a drink if you want one."

Lily fumed. "Tony, need I remind you that Ziva taught me some of her Mossad moves?"

Tony looked at her in mock horror. Sean's color drained from his face. "Mossad? Aren't they…Israeli secret agents, and like…assassins?"

"Welcome to the family!" Tony gave him a big hug. "Seriously, didn't Lily tell you what we all do for a living?"

"She said you worked for the Navy." Sean's color started to return.

"Well, yes. Civilian enforcement Agents for the Naval Criminal Investigative Services. Ziva and I work for Gibbs, uh, Jethro. And yes, my wife _used_ to work for Mossad, but she resigned, became an American Citizen and became an NCIS Agent. She is also the mother of my daughter and pregnant with our second child."

"And she can still kick ass."

"So, drink?" Tony looked up expectantly.

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home**

The two sets of parents were still on the deck laughing and enjoying each other's company. And more importantly, Bailey added two more members to his fan club.

Gibbs' phone rang. He hoped it wasn't work. He wasn't good at this couple get-together stuff. But he surprised himself by really enjoying it, seeing Mimi in a setting other than with his team.

His life revolved around his team, to the exclusion of others. He loved Mimi and he loved Lily. He began to feel that he had been selfish, basically having her drop everything and insert herself into his life.

He made a vow right then to have Mimi invite her work friends over for dinner, none of which he had met. And have Lily bring all of her friends for a cook out or party if she wanted.

He wanted to have back a little bit of that normalcy that had been eluding him for over twenty years. His team, all almost as dysfunctional as he was, had been successful.

He watched Mimi interacting with Sean's parents. Her smile and vibrancy reminded him all over again why he loved her.

Yeah, he had been selfish as hell, sequestering her into his little world, without venturing out into hers.

Mimi turned and saw his soft smile at her. She smiled widely and took his hand. Turning his gaze back to the ringing phone, he saw it was Tony calling.

"Tony." He told the others. "Hey, DiNozzo. How are things going?"

He listened quietly, his eyes smiling as he heard Tony's lively description of the night's events; at least _his_ version of them.

"So, is the evening over, then?" Gibbs finally got a word in. At that, all four parents looked at their watches. It was twelve-thirty a.m. That sounded about right.

"Ok." Gibbs stood. "I'll come over and get them. No, you don't have to do that. You've chaperoned enough for the evening. Yep. See you in a few."

Gibbs ended the call and looked up at the expectant faces. "Well, according to DiNozzo, the date was a success and they are holding hands as we speak."

At that, they all sat back, surprised in their relief. "I'm really glad they had a good time." Susanne spoke. "Sometimes the event doesn't live up to the anticipation."

"And they have been anticipating this for a long time." Mimi turned to Gibbs. "So you are driving over to pick them up?"

Gibbs was standing and nodded. "Yeah, I'll go bring those crazy kids home." He kissed Mimi, and took off.

_**Hope you liked Sean and the date. And wasn't Tony cute acting all parental? I worry for Karina's future boyfriends! Thanks for the review, and faves.**_


	31. Chapter 31

_**Gibbs ended the call and looked up at the expectant faces. "Well, according to DiNozzo, the date was a success and they are holding hands as we speak."**_

_**At that, they all sat back, surprised in their relief. "I'm really glad they had a good time." Susanne spoke. "Sometimes the event doesn't live up to the anticipation."**_

"_**And they have been anticipating this for a long time." Mimi turned to Gibbs. "So you are driving over to pick them up?"**_

_**Gibbs was standing and nodded. "Yeah, I'll go bring those crazy kids home." He kissed Mimi, and took off.**_

**Usual Disclaimers that need to be posted periodically: I own nothing, see nothing, hear nothing.**

Chapter Thirty-One: "Making Changes"

As Gibbs pulled into the driveway, he could see Tony standing on his front porch with Lily and Sean. And yes, there was a subtle change in their body language.

A decision had been made; they were now a couple. Gibbs hid his smile. He got out, expecting to help Lily down the stairs, but Sean had already taken over.

"Hi, Daddy!" Lily said brightly.

"Hi…Lily, Sean." Gibbs said, amused. He looked at Tony, who had a big grin on his face and was giving him a big thumbs up and nodding his head up and down.

Gibbs had to turn away at Tony's antics. He didn't want Lily to think he was laughing at them. "Ok, in the car. Let's get you home. Thanks, Tony. Thank Ziva for us, too."

"Got it, Boss! Goodnight." Tony waited until they pulled away, then went into his home and set the alarm.

The DiNozzo Family was locked up for the night.

**October 2013-Walter Reed/National Naval Medical Center**

Tony and Ziva waited patiently to be called back for their sixteen-week ultrasound. Unlike with Karina, they had decided to find out the baby's sex.

Ziva knew Tony really wanted the baby to be a boy, and hoped he wouldn't be disappointed if "he" should be a "she".

"DiNozzo?" The tech called them back. Standing up together, they held hands and went into the exam room. Now quite familiar with the routine, Ziva didn't need to be told what to do.

A small knock on the door announced Mimi's arrival. "Hi, you two! Ready to see what's waiting for you?"

Tony and Ziva looked at each and smiled. "Yes, Mimi. We are ready."

"Ok, well first we will do our routine ultrasound, making sure the baby is growing appropriately and that everything is within normal limits. Just so you know: the baby doesn't always accommodate and give us a frontal or complete view.

Sometimes, we still can't determine the baby's sex at sixteen weeks. I wanted you to be aware of that, just in case baby DiNozzo doesn't cooperate."

Tony looked disappointed, but they both nodded.

Mimi plopped on the cold gel and began the exam. "Thanks again, by the way, for helping out with Lily and Sean's date. She has been, well. Use your imagination."

Ziva chuckled at that. "Like she's in love? I thought she was acting that way _before_ the date."

"Yes...she…was. Now amplify that by one thousand, and you'll get the picture."

Tony smirked.

"Ok, here we go." Mimi began her using points "A" and "B" and making measurements. "Everything looks good. Baby is growing well, organs developing, no abnormalities noted. And…we can tell the sex."

Mimi paused and looked at Tony and Ziva. "Are you ready?"

They held hands and nodded.

**NCIS**

Tim alerted Abby the minute Tony and Ziva returned from their doctor's appointment. She immediately rushed upstairs.

"Well? Well? Do we have a new niece or nephew?"

Gibbs looked up, trying not to look interested, but they knew he was. Ziva smiled softly. "Maybe we should see if Ducky and Jimmy are also available, so we can tell everyone at the same time."

Tim immediately called downstairs and spoke softly into the phone. He hung up and grinned. "They will be right up." He smiled and walked over to his wife, wrapping his arm around her waist.

He looked at Tony, trying to get a sense of what the answer would be. He knew Tony really wanted a son, and figured he would look smug and triumphant it the baby was a boy.

Instead he looked, happy; normal happy. So Tim figured it was probably another girl.

He looked at Ziva. Just like with Karina, she seemed to bloom overnight, from flat stomach to six months pregnant, even though she was only a little over sixteen weeks along.

He wondered briefly if they were having twins, but they were both acting way too calm for that. The elevator ding announced the arrival of Ducky and Jimmy.

Now that the entire team was assembled, Tony and Ziva looked at each other. Ziva reached into her purse and pulled out the ultrasound pictures.

"I cannot see anything from these pictures, but according to Mimi…" She looked at Tony and nodded slightly.

"It's a boy!" Tony cried out exuberantly.

"Yay!" Abby clapped and hugged Tony. She then hugged Ziva. "Are you happy, too?"

"Of'course, Abby! I had no preference. I just want a healthy child. Tony was the one who wanted a son, so I am pleased that we are having one."

Tim shook Tony's hand and clapped his shoulder. "That's great, Tony. So…Anthony DiNozzo, III?"

There was silence. "Oh no, no, no, no…" Tony said. "I will never do that to my child."

"We have not discussed names." Ziva said, looking at her husband. "But long ago, before Tony and I actually got together, he once told me to never let him name any son of his Anthony DiNozzo, III. I will honor that request."

Gibbs came up to Ziva and kissed her temple. "Congratulations, Ziver." He shook Tony's hand, not surprised to see some tears in his eyes.

Although he knew Tony would not have acted disappointed and would have sucked it up if the baby had turned out to be a girl, the joy that he was having a son was impossible to hide.

"Just what we need, a little Tony." He laughed.

"Yes, _except_ he will not be called Tony." He reminded everyone.

"Everything else ok?" Gibbs asked.

Ziva and Tony both nodded. "Everything looks good, except that I am huge." Tony patted her stomach. "This is what happened with Karina. You will stay the same for the next two months."

Ziva's shoulders sagged. "I just wish I didn't have to be this uncomfortable this early, that is all." She sat down in her chair, and elevated her feet.

Abby went over to Ziva. "Are you ankles already swelling?" She asked, concerned.

Ziva shook her head. "Pre-emptive strike." She said nonchalantly, as if she was talking about an OP.

"I think the word Mimi used was 'pro-active,' not 'pre-emptive,' Ziva." Tony smiled.

"In other words, don't wait for the swelling and try to get it to go down, try to prevent the swelling from getting bad to begin with."

Gibbs nodded. Abby looked thoughtful. "Well, we have several more weeks to go before we get to find out." She said.

"Any thoughts? Any preferences?" Ziva asked.

Abby looked at Tim and smiled. "I think I'm with Ziva. I don't really care, as long as the baby is healthy."

"Good attitude, Abbs." Gibbs kissed her temple. He looked at Ziva. "I know you're not going to like this, but I think I'm going to need to bench you from the field."

"Gibbs!" Ziva tried to stand up to protest, but didn't get very far.

"Your center of balance is off. I can't risk you getting hurt in the field. You can still interrogate, as long as I am sure there is no danger to you."

Ziva fumed. Tony rubbed her shoulders. "Come on. You knew this would happen. Tell you what. I'll help you with the paper work, ok?"

Ziva looked at her husband like he was nuts. "You are joking right?"

"Take this time to improve your already impressive computer skills, Ziver. Which reminds me? Abby?"

Abby looked startled. "Yes, Gibbs?"

"We need to talk to Mimi about what you have in your lab and if there is anything you need to stay away from. Should have asked her the minute you found out you were pregnant."

Abby looked pale. "Well, Ziva went down there all the time when she was pregnant with Karina and she's fine."

Gibbs put his hands on her shoulders. "Ziva was in and out. And she wasn't actually handling chemicals. You may have to wear a mask. I don't know.

You should know the risks of everything you have in there, Abby. Just make sure you and the baby are safe." Abby nodded and looked at Tim, who was just as pale as she was.

"Gibbs, if I can't work in my lab, what am I supposed to do?" She asked.

"We'll cross that bridge should we come to it, Ok Abbs?" He kissed her again.

"Uh, Boss." Tony spoke up. "Speaking of protecting our Lady Loves; can I talk to you for a second?"

Gibbs looked at his Senior Special Agent with a look of surprise and annoyance. "What?" He asked.

Tony walked over to Gibbs. "Not here." He guided Gibbs to their "conference room." The others watched in shocked silence, as Gibbs went with Tony without complaint or question.

They got in the elevator. Tony pushed the button to get it started, then pulled pressed the stop button.

"What are you doing, Tony?" Gibbs asked.

"I just wanted to talk to you about something, and I thought we should do it privately because, you probably will be pissed at what I am about to say."

"In that case, DiNozzo, do us both a favor and don't say it." Gibbs said, exasperated.

"I wouldn't be a good friend, or family member, if I said nothing."

That stopped Gibbs. "What in the hell are you talking about, Tony?"

"I'm talking about Mimi and Lily." Tony said quietly. "You are so used to being on your own and fighting your own battles. How many times has your home been invaded and/or shot up?

You said yourself you hoped this last thing with the mannequin wasn't a ploy to get a look at us. Well, what if it was? Who are they going to find when they show up at your home now, Gibbs?"

Tony ran his hand through his hair. "Look, I understand being set in your ways, and not letting the bad guys dictate how you live your life, but you have two other lives that you are responsible for now."

Gibbs had been listening quietly as Tony presented his argument.

"And you think I am being irresponsible." It was a statement.

"Leaving your door unlocked? Hell, yeah. Oh, I'm sure Mimi locks it while she is home alone, but how old is that lock? Does it really work?

Mimi is looking to you to keep her safe, and probably feels safer than she ever has in her whole life, just because it _is_ you. But it's an illusion, Boss."

Gibbs leaned against the elevator wall and crossed his arms. "So what do I need to do to make you happy?"

Tony frowned. "It's not about making _me_ happy, Boss. It's about Mimi and Lily, and our kids when they are staying with you."

That startled Gibbs. He berated himself, as a continuation of the talk he had with himself the other night of how he expected Mimi and Lily to just adapt to his life, while he made no accommodations for them.

"Ok, Tony. Point taken. I will do something, Ok?"

Tony smiled. "Your call, Boss. Just wanted you to know how I felt about it."

"Well, you did. Can we get back to work now?" Gibbs growled.

"Oh! Yeah, sure Boss!" Tony started the elevator back up and they returned to the bullpen.

It was like a tableau: no one had moved from their positions. It was if they had been frozen in time.

Tony and Gibbs said nothing as they went to their respective desks. Ziva, Tim and Abby knew they would need to ask Tony later.

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home**

If September had been somewhat balmy, October was unseasonably cold. There were actually a few snow flurries that fell on Columbus Day, which made no sense to anyone.

Much to the surprise of the entire team, Gibbs had a state of the art home monitoring system installed in their home. Using the same carrier as Tony and Tim had used, it had all the gadget and gizmos and doodads.

The problem was, he kept setting off the alarm because he was used to just walking into his home, or letting Bailey out in the early morning without thinking about having to insert some code into a plastic square on his wall.

After being cited multiple times for false alarms, the local LEO's came to an understanding with Gibbs. He would try _really, really_ hard to remember to disconnect the alarm before he opened any doors and they would never automatically send out a cruiser unless they could not get in touch with any one on the team.

At first, the auto lights coming on every time some stupid squirrel walked across their deck irritated the living daylights out of him. Tim adjusted the sensitivity so that it would not register unless it was a larger form.

He found this useful one night when he accidently left Bailey outside. Bailey quietly waited and kept walking up to the door, causing the light to go on.

Finally, after the fifth time, Gibbs realized what had happened and spent the rest of the evening overfeeding treats to Bailey. Mimi happened to be away at a Seminar that night, which was why she didn't figure it out right away.

Gibbs got Bailey to swear to a code of silence for his mistreatment, but Bailey had his number from then on.

Gibbs had to give Tony kudos for standing up to him about the safety issue. He was responsible for another person, sometimes two; and a dog now. He may not have been too concerned about his own skin all those years, but he sure as hell did not take for granted Mimi or Lily. Or Bailey.

Bailey was a great guard dog if he was outside or if you came to the door. But the minute you came inside, you were his best friend. So any would-be attacker/home invader would just need to give him treat and Bailey would show him where all the money was.

Against her will, Gibbs took Mimi to a shooting range. He knew there would be nights when he would not be home because of work, and he wanted her to be able to defend herself if necessary.

"There is no way I am going to go grab a gun and shoot someone!" She argued with him. Ziva even tried to teach her a few defensive moves, but Mimi felt clumsy and out of shape.

This was not actually true. She was naturally athletic and in very good shape for her age. She just wasn't twenty anymore and therefore felt inadequate and incapable.

But she surprised herself at the shooting range. Once she got over the weight and recoil of the gun, she was actually quite good. Gibbs was impressed, and quite proud. He also had her try out shooting a rifle, which she also did quite well at.

Gibbs looked at her and shook his head. "Have you been holding out on me? You know, Ziva tried to act all stupid about Baseball, just to rile us guys over our All-American Game, and then she goes and starts throwing like an All-Star."

Mimi was flushed with pleasure that she did so well, but she still didn't like the idea of actually possibly having to hold one for _real_ one day. She just shook her head.

"I wouldn't even touch Noah's guns and he liked to hunt." She shuddered. Gibbs took the last firearm away from her.

"Well, I think this lesson is over. You could give a few agents some pointers." He smiled.

"Why are you doing this, Jethro?" Mimi asked.

"What?" Gibbs asked, perplexed.

"This!" Mimi waved her arms around. "Making sure I can defend myself, wiring up the house to let us know a dead leaf has fallen on the roof." Her tone changed. "Has something happened? Are you worried about our safety?"

Gibbs looked into her eyes. "Of'course I am. I have a dangerous job and I have pissed off and will continue to piss of a great many people. What happened to Shannon and Kelly had nothing to do with me.

But maybe if I had prepared Shannon better to take care of herself…"

Mimi stroked his cheek. "Being able to shoot a gun wouldn't help too much in a car accident." She hated reminding him of how they died. And she didn't like it when he brought it up, because it made her feel insecure.

"The point, Mimi, is that I have never worried about security because I knew I could take care of myself. And I believe I can take care of you and Lily as well.

But I want to make sure you can take care of yourself and Lily if something should go wrong."

"What do you mean 'should something go wrong'?" Mimi asked, her voice slight higher pitched.

"We talked about this when we got together, how my work has hurt the people I love. My Dad has been gunned after, and this house has been ransacked and broken into more times than I care to count.

And I really didn't care, except for cleaning up the mess afterward, because I knew it came with the job.

I'm making sure you know it comes with _me_." Gibbs looked into Mimi's eyes, searching for any sign of uncertainty or fear.

"Are you trying to get rid of me, to scare me out of this relationship?" Mimi asked, searching his eyes.

Gibbs held onto her tighter than ever. "Nope, I'm trying to hold onto to you. You and Lily are the best thing that has happened to me in a long time and I'm going to make damn sure I don't lose it."

_**Thanks as always for the great reviews! Next Chapter- Halloween! **_


	32. Chapter 32

"_**We talked about this when we got together, how my work has hurt the people I love. My Dad has been gunned after, and this house has been ransacked and broken into more times than I care to count.**_

_**And I really didn't care, except for cleaning up the mess afterward, because I knew it came with the job.**_

_**I'm making sure you know it comes with me." Gibbs looked into Mimi's eyes, searching for any sign of uncertainty or fear.**_

"_**Are you trying to get rid of me, to scare me out of this relationship?" Mimi asked, searching his eyes.**_

_**Gibbs held onto her tighter than ever. "No, I'm trying to hold onto to you. You and Lily are the best thing that has happened to me in a long time and I'm going to make damn sure I don't lose it." **_

Chapter Thirty-Two: "A Whole Bunch of Scariness"

**Halloween- 2013**

For Karina's first Halloween, there had been a big discussion about her costume. Tony naturally wanted her to be a princess, a fairy, a ballerina or a baseball player, for some reason.

Ziva had wanted to dress her up in a little NCIS agent outfit. Tony protested this. "Are you going to have a little shoulder gun and holster and a knife strapped to her ankle?"

"Fine!" Ziva said. "Dress her up like a little helpless female, then."

Tony looked perplexed. "She is a little helpless female. Look, when she is old enough to pick out her own costumes, which could be next year; she can decide to dress as a Zombie for all I care.

But I want her to be my little girl for as long as I can."

Ziva softened and put her arms around Tony's waist. "She will always be your little girl, Tony." She sighed. "Ok, pick out what you want."

Tony swung Karina around while she screamed in delight. "You and me baby; Halloween!" Ziva just shook her head.

Actually, it would be Ziva who would be taking Karina around to the neighbor's houses. In a fit of maleness, Tony decided he could not leave a pregnant Ziva alone at their house to hand out candy, even if Bridget would be on the front porch.

Bridget was as much a guard dog as Bailey was. She would help any robbers put their booty in the sacks. Still, the _appearance_ of a dog was sometimes enough of a deterrent.

Ziva just rolled her eyes. Ever since that mannequin case, Tony had been overly, and Ziva felt, inappropriately protective of her and baby boy DiNozzo and Karina.

So instead of Tony carting his Fairy-clad daughter from house to house, Ziva would be pushing her in her stroller. He had contacted the old neighborhood watch association, and a group of families, including Ziva and Karina, would be traveling together around the neighborhood.

Ziva could not fault him for that, and actually thought it was a good idea; for the other families of'course.

So off they trudged, stopping at each home, gathering a large supply of cavity-laden candy, and sugar-highs for their children.

Ziva did not intend for Karina to see any of her loot. Maybe one treat, but the rest would go into work. Mostly to Tony, probably.

They all stopped in front of Tim and Abby's house, and Ziva grinned. She knew they had planned a haunted house as well as giving out candy, and was sorry she couldn't explore it right now.

But she didn't want Karina frightened but whatever bloody and gross things they had going on in there. The front yard was appropriately cob-webbed and had headstones.

Every once in a while, the group could hear some kids scream, and then it would fade away. All of the adults looked at each other and smiled, remembering their own childhood haunted house experiences.

Ziva herself _lived_ a haunted house experience, so she was not quite so fascinated except to see what Abby had come up with. She made a mental note to come back later.

Abby's BFF and Bridesmaid Carol handed out the goodies, and guided whoever was adventurous enough into the house.

They finally made it around to Gibbs house. Mimi and Gibbs were sitting on the front porch, dressed up in…_cowboy outfits_? No, Mimi would be a cowgirl.

Gibbs was strumming a guitar, which was a revelation for Ziva, as she had never seen a guitar in his hands before. They greeted Karina with open arms.

She was dressed as a Fairy per Tony's wishes, complete with glitter and sparkles on her pink dress and wings and cheeks. Ziva added a small NCIS badge to the outfit, unbeknownst to Tony.

Gibbs picked up on it right away. "So, Karina is part of the Fairy Division at NCIS?" Ziva and Mimi laughed.

"Tony is such a girl. I had to do something to this outfit." Ziva exclaimed. She looked at them. "So, who are you supposed to be?"

"That would be Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, ma'am." Gibbs said with a slight western drawl. Mimi broke out into "Happy Trails" while Gibbs strummed along.

"_This has got to be the strangest night I have ever seen."_ Ziva thought to herself. But she laughed as Karina clapped and tried to sing along with Mimi, even though she had no idea what the words were.

A few "papa's" and "momo's" could be heard, as well as "doggy" and "bye-bye." Mimi barely made it through the song; she was trying to keep from laughing so hard.

She took Karina from Ziva. "What a beautiful singer you are! I'll bet you are going to take after your mommy, aren't you."

Ziva blushed at that. Gibbs smiled. "Sounds like they're having a laugh riot behind us. Why don't you leave Karina here, and go check out…" Gibbs lowered his voice. "The Haunted House."

Ziva grinned. She did want to see it. "Alright, I will be right back." She took off like as fast as she could go, considered that she looked like an upside down question mark.

Gibbs looked at Mimi. "Hey, nothing will happen to the baby, will it? I mean, by Ziva getting spooked by whatever Abby has cooked up?"

"Listen to what you just said and answer your own question." Mimi teased.

Gibbs thought about it for a minute, and then slapped the back of his own head. "Right. It's Ziva we're talking about. Now Tony: he'll probably scream like a little girl." Mimi chuckled at that.

Ziva got back to the McGee home and stepped inside. They had put up plywood to make hallways to guide their visitors through their home, since the Haunted House was all in their back yard.

The hallways were painted black, with various blood splatters and words like "redrum", "death" and "apocalypse" showing up in the black light and neon lit corridor. She reached the deck, where she found a skeleton, pointing his finger to his left, Ziva's right, holding a sign that said, "Enter at your own risk."

So far, Ziva was amused, but hardly frightened. She could see children losing it at the first sight of the skeleton, though. The deck steps were well lit, but she still took care going down them.

She came to a door. It said "Knock, if you dare." So she obediently knocked. She immediately heard a breathless female voice call out. "Help me, please. Don't let him do this!"

It was so convincing, she almost reached for her gun, and then realized she didn't have it. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. What greeted her was a very dead-looking Lily, lying in Abby's casket.

Sean was at the head, getting ready to shut the lid. He looked really scruffy and gross, clearly the grave digger and about two coughs from death himself.

As she approached the coffin, Lily popped-up. "Help me, please. Don't let him do this! I'm not dead yet!" At which Sean pushed her down, snarling, "Don't be such a baby. You will be." He slammed the lid down and eyed Ziva.

"Waiting to be next?" Ziva's eyes were bugged out. The fake British accents should have clued her in that they were sort of re-enacting one of the many hilarious moments from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", in this case the "Bring out your dead!" scene.

She walked past Sean and knocked on the next door.

"Yes..?" A familiar voice answered. Ziva smiled. It was Ducky. She opened the door to find Ducky dressed in blood splattered scrubs. On the autopsy table was Palmer, very much alive.

"Ah, a new student. Watch and learn my dear. We start with the "Y incision…" Jimmy screamed out. "No, no please. I have a son…" as Ducky took the blade to him and blood seeped out as he made the first cut.

Ducky turned to her. "Would you care to try, my dear?"

Ziva shook her head and went to the next door and knocked. "Yeah, who is it?" A gruff male voice asked.

Ziva tentatively opened the door. Inside this room she found Tim sitting on a chair, looking quite disheveled. He had on this wig of hair that went to his shoulders. A gaping wound was at his neck.

With him was Jethro, who was gnawing on…a human body? Ziva tried not to lean in closer, but it was very realistic looking. Jethro was bent over the victim's neck, and then looked at her with a blood-stained muzzle, crunching on something that sounded suspiciously like bone and licking his chops.

Okay…that was gross. Ziva left quickly, and found the trail led her into the middle of their yard. There was Abby, in all her glory. Ziva couldn't even begin to describe her outfit except that it had remnants of Elvira and Elphaba from "Wicked."

"Oh... you have finally made it for dinner." Abby oozed. In the center of the yard was a round table with a white table cloth, beautiful table settings, a candelabra and a large round silver covered platter in the center.

"Tell, me: which part do you like best?" At this, Abby took off the lid, to reveal the head of Ned Dorneget. Ziva stepped back in surprise. Then he surprised her even more by opening his eyes.

"Please…." He whispered. Then he closed his eyes again.

Ziva looked at Abby, who was now grinning. "Shoo, before our next victim shows up." She led Ziva back to where Tim was so she could go into Gibb's yard instead of walking out all the way around the block.

She gave her a quick kiss. "Gotta' go. Ghouls wait for no one." At that, Abby took off.

She went onto their deck and sat down. She pulled out her phone and called Mimi. "Hi, just wanted to let you know I am sitting on your deck. Ok, see you."

She made one other call. "Tony, put away the candy and get over to Tim and Abby's. You have got to see their haunted house." She hung up.

The French door opened. Gibbs was standing there. "Well, did it meet the David code of scary?"

Ziva smiled. "I was actually startled by some parts of it, but quickly got over it. However, I can see many children having nightmares tonight."

Gibbs grinned. "Yeah, I know all about it." He brought her inside and gave her some hot tea. Karina was inside waiting for her.

"Mama, Mama!" She crawled as quickly as she could to Ziva, and then hung onto her leg to pull herself up.

"She'll be walking before you know it," Gibbs commented.

Ziva looked at her daughter, rubbing her hand over her head as she looked up adoringly at her mother.

Suddenly, a high pitched scream could be heard from the yard behind them.

Ziva looked at Gibbs and smiled. "That would be Tony."

**November, 2013**

"No!" Karina said for the fifth time. Usually, Tony and Ziva were delighted by the new words that were added to their daughter's vocabulary.

This was one word, however, that they were not too pleased with. "I thought it was the 'Terrible Two's', not the 'Terrible Ten and a half Months'." Tony gritted through his teeth, trying to get his recalcitrant daughter to eat her dinner.

She just shook her head back and forth, her mouth glued shut except to say "NO!" Ziva sighed and took her food away.

"Hey!" Tony said. "We can't starve her! That's child cruelty or something, isn't it?"

Ziva regarded her husband with amusement. "Tony, the more you try, the more she will say 'no'. It was a word she picked up in daycare from one of the toddlers I am sure.

Your daughter will NOT starve. When she is hungry, believe me, she will let us know."

Karina watched her mother, a little frown of surprise on her face as she watched her walk away with her dinner.

Ziva proceeded to remove her bib and took her out of her high chair. "Ok, Sweetness. Time for your bath." Karina clapped, but looked back at her father, with an expression that said "I'm supposed to eat first, right?"

Tony had to look away, torn between concern for his daughter fainting from hunger and laughter at her expression of surprise.

While Ziva was upstairs, he double checked the locks on the front, back and garage doors. They had had another call out today, this time a dead Marine.

Again, it was a mannequin, dressed up in Marine Dress Blues. The difference this time was that someone took a pot-shot at them. In fact, they almost made Abby a widow.

They were looking at the fake "Marine", who was propped up against the wall of a building. Just as Tim bent down to look at something he saw on the ground, a shot rang out.

They all scrambled for cover, but no more shots were fired; and they didn't find the shooter. What they did find, however, was that if Tim had not chosen that exact moment to bend down, the bullet's trajectory would have embedded itself into the wall, via his head.

That really shook Tim up. What he bent to look at was a shoe print, or a partial. It was hard to see in the sunlight, but when Tim stood in front of it, he had blocked out the light.

They quickly took photos and pulled the slug from the wall. "Guys, Abby does not need to know about this, Ok?" Tim pleaded. "I don't want anything to happen to her and the baby."

"McGee, someone just tried to blow your head off. Until we know whether you were the intended target or if it was some random shooting at an NCIS agent, we need to keep everyone in the loop for their safety." Gibbs stood in front of his younger agent.

Tim looked distressed. "Ok, but I'll tell her." Gibbs nodded.

"Thanks, Boss." Tony said to Gibbs grimly.

"For what, I didn't do anything." Gibbs said in surprise.

"You benched Ziva." That's all Tony said as he went back to scouring the area for evidence.

Tim had to talk to Abby with Gibbs present, in case she went off. She handled it pretty well, but Tim could see that she was holding back.

Gibbs was worried she might regress like she did after the explosions, having her nightmares of the morgue. He told them both to call him any time, day or night, if they needed him.

In the meantime, Abby worked on the evidence they collected at the crime scene. The shoe print showed it was a 10 ½ Timberland Men's Chocorua Trail boot.

The bullet was identified as a 30 caliber, used with a M1 Carbine Semi-Automatic Rifle. Very common and very easy to get. Tim looked through old case files with similar M.O.'s and Ziva looked through their old emails and phone records to see if there was any pattern.

Abby dusted the uniform and mannequin for prints, just as she had with the first one, but came up empty.

"They must have worn gloves, Gibbs. The only prints are from the people at 'Capitol Cleaners'. That turned out to be a bust, as the cleaner's was the go to place for all Marine's."

They would have to investigate every Marine who ever used the establishment and that would be a nightmare. Other than the uniform, there was no actual proof that the perpetrator was military.

All of this was on Tim and Abby's mind as they headed to Walter Reed to see Mimi for their check-up and ultrasound.

"Hey, you too." Mimi said quietly. "Come on back." She led them to an empty examination room.

"How are you guys doing? Mimi asked. They knew she was not speaking of Abby's pregnancy. They held hands. "It's part of the job, Mimi. I've been shot at before. It's just that…"

"There's more at stake." Mimi finished. "Ok, well, let's talk about happier things. On the scale, Abby."

Abby took off her shoes. "Look, Mimi, before you pass judgment, we just had Halloween and I have been starving."

Mimi looked at Abby. "Starving, really?" She looked at Tim.

He shrugged. "She eats everything that's not nailed down."

"Interesting." Mimi wrote on her notes.

"Well, that's normal right? I am eating for two." Abby bit her lip and looked at Tim.

"Abby, you have gained fifteen pounds in one month." Mimi looked slightly alarmed.

"Is that bad?" Now Tim looked scared.

"Not necessarily, but I want to do a blood panel on you while you're here. But now, let's get to the ultrasound to see how things are going."

Abby nodded, subdued. Mimi left the room while she took off her top and put on the paper one. "Timmy, I'm scared. What if something is wrong?" She had tears in her eyes.

Tim kissed her. "Then we'll deal with it, ok Abbs?"

Abby nodded; her pigtails barely moving.

_**Thanks again for the great reviews, especially from my loyalists; Mark Harmon really can play the guitar as evidenced by youtube, but his singing is on the same playing field as most of us. He can carry a tune, but shouldn't quit his day job. He can also dance, like we danced in the 70's per an episode of "Ozzie's Girls"; and a really funny scene of "Chicago Hope" in the 90's, doing choreography to "Luck Be a Lady Tonight". Hard as I looked, didn't see Rocky Carroll. Guess that tells you how old I am…haha**_


	33. Chapter 33

"_**Abby, you have gained fifteen pounds in one month." Mimi looked slightly alarmed.**_

"_**Is that bad?" Now Tim looked scared.**_

"_**Not necessarily, but I want to do a blood panel on you while you're here. But now, let's get to the ultrasound to see how things are going."**_

_**Abby nodded, subdued. Mimi left the room while she took off her top and put on the paper one. "Timmy, I'm scared. What if something is wrong?" She had tears in her eyes.**_

_**Tim kissed her. "Then we'll deal with it, ok Abbs?"**_

_**Abby nodded, her pigtails barely moving.**_

**Usual Disclaimers which I periodically forget: I do not own CBS, NCIS or its characters and was very disappointed I did not get them for Christmas.**

Chapter Thirty-Three: "Two, or maybe Three Surprises"

"Ok, here we go." Mimi said. Tim and Abby held hands tightly. Mimi concentrated on the screen in front on her.

"Well, well, well…what do we have here?" Mimi whispered. Tim and Abby looked over at Mimi.

"Well, I think I can explain the weight gain, and the need to eat." She said, chuckling.

She turned the screen toward them, and watched in amusement as both of their eyes bugged out.

"Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" Tim whispered.

"But, I don't understand." Abby, ever logical, exclaimed.

"What we have here is a classic case of 'hiding embryo." Mimi smiled, as she pointed to the two embryos clearly visible on the screen. "The second baby was covered by the first. Their heartbeats must have been in sync."

"Second baby?" Tim mouthed silently. He looked at Abby, who was looking scared to death, but also beaming, if that was possible.

"Twins?" He looked at Mimi.

Mimi nodded. "Guess they had a 'two for one' sale. You can see the second embryo is slightly smaller than the first, which explains why it was able to be obscured by the first one.

You fertilized two different eggs. You have fraternal twins, guys." Mimi let them listen to both of the heart beats.

"I…I don't know what to say." Abby said. "Twins? We never considered twins. Are there twins in your family, Timmy?" Abby asked.

Tim considered the question. "I don't think so. What about…oh, right. Sorry."

Tim remembered at that moment that Abby was adopted and had no information regarding her biological family.

Mimi fiddled some more with the monitor and the transducer. "I've got a good idea of the sex, but I could be wrong. Not a great image." Mimi looked at the expectantly.

They looked at each other. "Ok." They both said. "We want to know."

They both held their breaths as Mimi printed out their pictures. "From what I can see, you have one of each." She smiled as she handed them the strip.

"A girl?" Tim smiled.

"A boy?" Abby echoed.

"Yes, to both. Although, as I said, these aren't real clear images, but you definitely have a boy." She said.

They took the images and looked at them. "Oh, I see his little pe…pee-pee." Abby said.

Mimi smirked. "Abby, we are adults here."

"Oh, my God. The team is going to flip!" Abby clapped.

Mimi smiled. "Well, I feel a little better about your weight gain, now. But Abby, you just can't eat whatever you want, whenever you want.

You now have two babies to take care of, as well as yourself. You need to be eating healthy food. That means a lot of protein and nutrients. And no more Caf-Pows."

Abby looked sick at that.

"I will give you additional supplements to your prenatal vitamins and I want to see you back in two weeks, just to see how things are going."

Abby frowned. "Are you worried about something?"

Mimi touched her hand. "No, but having just found out about baby # 2, I don't know her, or him as well. Just want to make sure Twin 'B' is progressing as well as Twin 'A'." She smiled encouragingly.

"Let me just draw your blood and you are good to go." Mimi got her supplies ready and drew three tubes of blood.

"Why so much?" Tim asked.

"Well, with twins, there is more strain on the mother, so I am getting a better baseline for Abby, so we can tell if there are any changes later."

"Do I need to change my work? Gibbs was worried about the chemicals." Abby whispered.

Mimi nodded. "He mentioned that to me, and I agree with his concern. I am assuming by now you have thoroughly checked the formularies for all of your chemicals regarding potential hazards for pregnant women." It was not a question.

Abby nodded "yes". "There was only one chemical that I had that was a serious threat. The others are ok, as long as I wear neoprene gloves and in some cases, a mask. I already have what I need."

"Ok, well I know how Jethro can get when he is in a hurry and wants an answer now. You make him wait to put your gloves and mask on if necessary before he gives you something and tells you to check it."

"Mimi, Gibbs has _always_ been concerned for my safety, even before I became pregnant."

Mimi smiled. "I know, but sometimes a desperate man can forget his priorities. And always wear a lab coat from now on, and remove the clothes you wear to work the minute you get home."

Tim and Abby looked at each other. "I'll make sure even if I have to take every bit of evidence to Abby myself and take her clothes off myself." Tim said.

Abby smiled wide as Tim blushed when he realized what he had said.

**That Evening**

Tony took Ziva to a special place for her birthday. It was a bit of a buzz kill to be Tuesday, which meant it was a school night. Beside, Ziva couldn't drink anyway.

They went to her favorite Spanish restaurant, _Las Novedades_. Ziva and Tony both appreciated all types of food, and she had introduced him to this restaurant. It was in Alexandria, so it was not too far from home.

Karina was with Gibbs and Mimi. They hadn't heard from Tim and Abby after their ultrasound, and that worried them a bit, so much so they asked Mimi about it.

She wouldn't reveal anything, but assured them that all was well and they were both probably just tired after the long and stressful day.

Ziva initially wanted to postpone her birthday celebration because of the earlier events, but Tony was adamant that they were not going to let work dictate their private life.

So Ziva dressed as sexy as she could, and of'course Tony was knocked out. "You look beautiful, Ziva." He whispered in her ear as they danced.

The restaurant had live music and dancing. Ziva was actually a very good salsa dancer but her current condition confined her to the slower dances, which was perfectly fine with Tony.

As they sat back down, he handed her a small wrapped gift. She gasped in surprise. "Tony, the dinner was my present!" She protested.

Tony grinned. "Like I believe that for a second. Go ahead, rip off the paper."

Ziva grinned. She promptly complied and ripped off the paper. Inside was a small box, which caused her to glance slyly at Tony.

She opened up the box, to see beautiful diamond earrings. _Large _diamond earrings. She gasped. "Tony, this is too much." She ran her fingers over the gems, already in love with them.

"Nothing is too much for my ninja. Hey…can you do me a favor? Can you just blow on them…ouch!" He laughed. Ziva smacked him lightly.

"I should not have to check the authenticity of the diamonds my husband buys for me, should I?" Ziva smiled sweetly.

"Absolutely not!" Tony answered by kissing is wife on the lips.

All too soon, it was time to head home. "Thank you, my love for a beautiful birthday. As much as I do not look forward to being a year older, I am very happy that you are at my side to share this with me."

"Always, Ziva. I will always be at your side." Tony said.

**November 13, 2013- NCIS**

As before, Tim and Abby had everyone come up to the bullpen so that they could announce the results of their ultrasound. Tim thanked everyone for coming.

"You're not getting an award, McGee. Just spit it out." Gibbs growled good-naturedly. Ziva laughed and snorted at that.

"Sorry. Do not make me snort." Tony grinned and put his arm around Ziva and gave her a squeeze.

"Yeah, hurry up, McDaddy or Abby's going to bounce that baby right out of her." Tony said.

Abby was literally bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Ok, ok…" Tim held up his hands. He held up the ultrasound pictures. "We definitely know that we are going to have a boy." He said, smiling wide.

The team erupted into cheers.

"Wait! Wait!" Abby got their attention. "As Timmy said, we definitely know that we are going to have a boy. What he didn't say was that…we don't exactly know the sex of the other one." She smiled that crooked, half bit lip smile she always does when she is nervous and excited all at the same time.

The team looked at them stunned. "Wha…wait. Did you just say the 'other one'?" Gibbs asked.

Ziva was grinning and Tony looked confused. "What other one?"

Abby could not contain herself any longer. "Twins! We're having twins! Is that not totally awesome? I mean, we were both totally shocked, I mean as far as we know, neither of us have twins our families; well, I wouldn't know since I don't really know my biological family, but…" Gibbs cut Abby off by engulfing her in a huge hug.

Tim was given a big hug by Ziva, and Ducky and Jimmy were clapping him on the back, while Tony still looked confused.

"I'm confused." He began. "Where did this second baby come from? Wasn't there only one baby the first time? Can you get pregnant again after you already got pregnant?" All sorts of scary scenarios were playing through his brain.

At that, everyone stopped and looked at Abby and Tim. "According to Mimi, the second baby, well she called it an 'embryo', was smaller than the other one and was actually 'hiding' behind it.

Their heartbeats were in sync, so it sounded like only one heartbeat." She beamed at her accurate explanation.

They handed out the strip from the ultrasound. Sure enough; there were definitely two babies there. "So, they are fraternal twins." Ziva commented. "Oh, look! You can see his little pe…" She looked around the bullpen.

"That's exactly what I said!" Abby hugged Ziva.

Gibbs looked at his team and shook his head. This was totally unexpected. A pregnant Abby was going to be a handful. A pregnant Abby with twins? He took a big swig of his coffee.

"Ok, I'm a Dad and an expectant Dad. What in the f…world are fraternal twins?" Tony was still trying to wrap his head around "hiding embryo".

Tim took the cue on this one. "What it means, Tony, is that two eggs were fertilized, not exactly at the same time according to Mimi; which explains why one is smaller, since it is…younger?" Tim shrugged.

Tony looked at Tim and considered his explanation. "So…that means you could have what? Two boys? A boy and a girl? Two girls?"

"Yes, to all of the above except the two girls, since we already know one is a boy. The other baby was not cooperating enough to make an exact determination, though Mimi thinks it might be a girl.

We'll see her again in two weeks." Tim added.

Gibbs and Ziva both raised their eyebrows. "That soon?" Gibbs asked worried.

"Yeah, we were surprised too, but Mimi said it was because she didn't know 'Baby B', that's what she calls the babies, 'A' and 'B'; anyway, she wants to establish a better baseline." Abby answered.

She didn't sound worried, so they decided they shouldn't be either.

Gibbs looked at the calendar. "So that will be right before they leave for Florida." He said absently.

Everyone looked quietly at Gibbs. Tony spoke first, cautiously. "Mimi and Lily are going to Florida?"

Gibbs looked up in surprise. He was sure they had all talked about this, but apparently not. "Well, yeah. They're going home for Thanksgiving."

"Oh, Gibbs!" Abby gave him a hug. "Well, you'll have the rest of us."

Gibbs looked around the room, trying not to meet Abby's eyes, but Abby wasn't fooled.

"Gibbs…what are you hiding?" Abby demanded.

Gibbs looked surprised. "I'm not hiding anything. I just thought I already told you guys; I'm joining them for Thanksgiving…in Florida."

Abby was stunned when she heard that Gibbs, Mimi and Lily would be spending Thanksgiving in Florida and not with the team.

"But we always spend Thanksgiving together, Gibbs. And it's our first with Mimi and Lily…and Bailey."

"What can I say Abbs? She asked me a while ago. This is _their_ tradition. I can't have them drop their family for ours. We see them all the time.

She hardly ever gets to see her parents and her sisters. They lost their brother a year and a half ago. It's still hard. It's a family tradition, and I'm not going to screw this up by refusing to go."

He cocked his head at Abby's grin when he said he wasn't going to "screw this up".

"Well, since you put it that way, I'll overlook your absence this time. But you have to call and take lots of pictures. We'll send you pictures as well."

Gibbs gave Abby a hug and kissed her temple. "I would expect no less."

Tony and Ziva were a little disappointed as well that they would all be missing Karina's first Thanksgiving, but really, she was still such a little baby she had no idea what it was about, other than seeing her "Papa" and "Momo".

**Saturday, November 23, 2013**

Mimi and Lily got ready to leave for their drive down to Florida. They drove so they could take Bailey. Bailey loved road trips and started to get all excited as soon as he saw the suitcases coming out.

Lily and Sean went out the night before, and Lily was red-eyed. Sean's family had invited them over for Thanksgiving. As much as Lily enjoyed going to Florida, for the first time she was conflicted about going.

Mimi had a long talk with her, and assured her that they would include Sean; and his family if they wished; in their Christmas activities. Lily felt a bit better after that.

Bailey didn't care about any of that mini-drama being played out. He was almost crying by the time they finally let him get in the back seat of the car. Gibbs held onto Mimi tightly. "You call me every two hours so I know where you are. I miss you already."

They kissed good-bye, a long enough kiss that Lily honked the horn. "Sorry." She smiled.

Gibbs watched them pull out of the driveway and stood in the road, watching them until he couldn't see their car anymore. With a heavy heart, he headed back into his empty house.

He wandered around the rooms, seeing Mimi everywhere. If he ever had any doubts, they were instantly dispelled. Just then, his phone rang.

He smiled at the readout: Abby. "Hey Abbs." He answered; the smile back on his face.

Tim and Abby invited Gibbs to come over for dinner, which he tried to put off, but Abby would not take no for an answer. "You can work on that damn boat tomorrow, Gibbs. Tonight, you are coming over, no excuses."

Gibbs looked down and smiled at her antics. "Ok, what time?"

As ordered, Mimi or Lily called every two hours, teasing him about wanting to know about their potty breaks, which he took good naturedly.

Much to his surprise, he found himself talking to Bailey as well, as Lily had insisted she hold her phone up to his ear and demanded Gibbs to talk to him.

Gibbs rolled his eyes, but complied, telling Bailey he was a good boy and he missed him and to be a good dog and listen to his mommy.

He thought he sounded ludicrous, but Lily got back on the phone laughing. "You should have seen his ears going back and forth and his tail wagging while you were talking to him, Daddy. He misses you too."

The team made sure Gibbs was occupied while his "at home family" was gone until it was time for him to leave. Tony and Ziva took him to the airport Wednesday morning. His flight was scheduled to arrive at 12 noon in Tampa.

Gibbs felt nervous as he sat on the plane. This was a big deal for him, meeting Mimi's family. Despite her reassurances, he really was worried that he wouldn't measure up.

Mimi's family were all highly educated and had important and interesting careers. Gibbs? He was an enlisted Marine, with no degree other than Junior College; a trained sniper, and a failure at marriage, at least the last three.

He overlooked his other attributes: his superior investigative skills, his ability to lead a group of talented Agents that other Agents lobbied to be on his team.

His polarizing effect that brought a group of seemingly emotionally challenged individuals together into a cohesive, close-knit family. His team revolved around him: he was their Leader, their Boss, their Dad, their center.

"Ladies, and Gentlemen, we have begun our descent. Please make sure your seatbelts are on. It is a balmy 85 degrees, 80% humidity. Looks to be a nice holiday. Thank you for your patronage and for flying with Southwest Airlines." The Pilot signed off.

Gibbs waited patiently for the other passengers to disembark, with their over-large carry-ons that should have been put in the cargo hold. Gibbs had a carry-on, but it was smaller. He would only be able to stay through Sunday. He had to be back at work on Monday.

He slowly walked through the attached entryway that connected the plane to the terminal. He looked around and saw the sign for the "shuttles" that would take him to Mimi.

The shuttles were on rails, two going back and forth from the "Landside" terminal to the various "Airside" hubs.

Gibbs waited patiently as his crowded shuttle began moving toward the "Landside" terminal. After an eternity, it stopped and the automatic doors opened. He waited for everyone to get off, and then step into the terminal.

He looked to his left and there was Mimi, waiting for him. He walked toward her, his pace quickening as he got closer. He stopped in front of her, studying her face.

She broke out into a wide grin, and her eyes were glistening. Gibbs grabbed her and kissed her like he had just returned from a six-month deployment.

"Oh, Jethro! I've missed you so much!" Mimi cried.

"Me too, Mimi. Me too." Gibbs murmured into her hair.

_**I decided to wait until after Christmas to post, as I have no business spending all my time on my computer when I have a husband and a dog named Bailey walking around with a Christmas bow on his head. Wish I could post pictures with the stories. Snowed briefly on Christmas Eve. Happy Holidays to all and a Blessed 2013. Bailey got a new basketball to herd around the backyard for Christmas.**_


	34. Chapter 34

_**He looked to his left and there was Mimi, waiting for him. He walked toward her, his pace quickening as he got closer. He stopped in front of her, studying her face.**_

_**She broke out into a wide grin, and her eyes were glistening. Gibbs grabbed her and kissed her like he had just returned from a six-month deployment.**_

"_**Oh, Jethro! I've missed you so much!" Mimi cried.**_

"_**Me too, Mimi. Me too." Gibbs murmured into her hair.**_

Chapter Thirty-Four: "Being Thankful"

**Tampa, FL**

Gibbs was privately glad that it was only Mimi who came to pick him up. During the week, he had been put on the phone to each of her relatives, except her mother.

Mandy was more toned down like Mimi, but Sophie and Lily could be twins with their energy and enthusiasm.

Her Dad is quite elderly, and couldn't hear him to well, so their conversation was mostly "hi" and "bye". Gibbs also spoke to Mandy's husband Tyler. Their sons, Bret and Kieran and their families lived in Tampa, and would be up for Thanksgiving.

Being a man of few words, Gibbs struggled through these phone calls and hoped he didn't sound too idiotic or worse, uninterested.

Mimi's mom, Georgie, was in the Alzheimer's unit at the Gainesville Nursing and Rehab Center.

They would be staying with Tyler and Mandy at their home in Gainesville, which was about a three and a half-hour drive. Gibbs drove and let Mimi navigate.

He couldn't believe how different he felt, just sitting in this car with Mimi. He knew he had made the right decision.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

Tony plopped the turkey in the sink, to start the thawing. They were hosting Thanksgiving this year for the team. Ziva was feeling pretty good, as she wasn't as far along as she was the same time last year.

Tony decided he was going to do the turkey himself this year. Ziva relinquished control and told him to come to her only if he needed help.

She was making several side dishes, but today she was baking: pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and apple pie. Tony was always amazed that Ziva could make her own pie crust.

He thought everyone just bought those frozen things at the grocery store. Ziva just rolled her eyes at him. Abby was making her family recipe "Caffeinated Green Bean Casserole." Breena was making a sweet potato dish.

Ducky was making homemade biscuits and shortbread, to "cleanse the palate" he said.

Abby had seen Mimi on the Friday before she and Lily left for Florida. Baby "B" was still not cooperative and the sex was still not positively identified, but Mimi was sticking with her initial assessment that it was a girl.

She was pleased to see that the second baby had continued to develop, so she was encouraged that, other than having to bear twins, at this point everything looked fine and Abby should have a normal pregnancy.

**Gainesville, FL**

Gibbs and Mimi finally arrived at her sister's house. Lily ran out, her arms open wide. "Daddy!" She squealed. Gibbs was nearly tackled but hugged her just as tightly as she held him.

"It's only been five days, Lily. You've gone longer than that without seeing me while you've been in school." Gibbs chuckled.

Lily shook her head. "Not the same Daddy. In school, I know I can always just drive over and see you. But here?" She waved her arms as if engulfing the entire state of Florida.

"Ok, point taken." By this time, Mandy had come out. "Hi, I'm Mandy, Mimi's sister and Lily and Bailey's Aunt. Welcome to our home."

Mandy and Mimi looked enough alike to be siblings, but there were striking differences. Mimi was a dark blonde, Mandy had auburn hair; Mimi's eyes were deep blue, and Mandy's were green.

"Nice to meet you, Mandy. Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Gibbs took her offered hand which she promptly turned into a hug. "Sorry." She said. "We're huggers here."

Gibbs smiled his crooked smile. "Oh, I know that."

Once inside, Gibbs was taken aback by the huge home. He felt his house was like a shack compared to this, and for a moment felt unworthy of Mimi.

But he was quickly dragged in and sat on the sofa and given a beer. The fireplace mantel was decorated with a horn-a–plenty and all sorts of autumn themed items. Bailey was overjoyed to see his "Daddy" and promptly got on the sofa with him and started "grooming" him.

"Bailey, get down." He said.

Mandy stepped in. "Oh, no. We're animal friendly here. They can even cook if they want." At that, Gibbs chuckled and rubbed Bailey's head.

"We'll have some lunch and I'll take you to meet Mom." Mimi said quietly. Gibbs nodded, knowing this would be emotional for Mimi.

"Where's you dad?" Gibbs asked.

Mandy answered. "He's resting in his room. As soon as he smells food, he'll wander out." She smiled and headed back into the kitchen.

All Gibbs knew about Mimi's dad was that he was ninety-two years old, a WWII vet and put up a big fuss about leaving his house in St. Petersburg, and moving in with Mandy and Tyler.

Sure enough, the smell of the homemade soup brought the Patriarch of the Monaghan family out of his room and into the dining room.

"Dad, this is Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Mimi's boyfriend. He flew down from D.C. to spend Thanksgiving with us." Mandy made the introductions.

"Sir." Gibbs held out his hand.

James Thomas Monaghan took the offered hand and shook it. "Gibbs? Is that English or German? Our ancestors came from England and Ireland and Germany you know."

Gibbs smiled. "I knew some of that, Sir, from Mimi. And I have no idea where my last name comes from."

James looked at Gibbs. "Well, ask Mandy. She'll know." Gibbs knew that Mandy was the resident Genealogist in the family, in addition to being a professor of History at the University of Florida.

"Have some lunch, Dad." Mimi said, guiding him to the table. "You and Jethro can talk later, about the war or something."

At that, her father's eyes lit up. "Are you Military?"

"Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Sir. Marine." Mimi's dad nodded, then began eating his food.

After lunch, Mimi directed Gibbs to the rehab center. Lily and Mandy were going with them. Dad didn't like to go, and had to be cajoled, but he said he was too tired and holed himself up in his room.

They didn't push him: the luminous eighteen-year old he had married on December 26, 1943, only rarely recognized him. Occasionally, she would say his name, or say "my husband" but no one was really sure if she was talking about him.

She recognized him as someone who came to visit, as with her daughters. So when they arrived and found her in the group room in her wheelchair, they found her as usual slumped, head down, eyes closed.

"Mom! Georgie! Look who's here! Mimi and Lily are here for Thanksgiving."

Georgie raised her head and saw Mandy and smiled and said "Hi!" This reminded Gibbs so much of Karina and her "Hi's!" to everyone; he struggled to keep his smile hidden.

Mimi went up to her mother and hugged and kissed her. "Hi, Mommy." She said softly. "It's me, Mimi. Do you remember me, Mom? It's Mimi, your daughter."

Georgie looked at her, her light blue eyes vacant. "Yeahhhhh…." She said. Mimi looked at Mandy. "She's still doing that?"

Mandy nodded. "And the 'gotta', gotta', gotta' thing, whatever that is about. Occasionally she will say something coherent. She said "Mama" the other day and I am pretty sure she was talking about Momo."

Mandy looked at her mother's short hair and ran her fingers through it. "They cut her hair so short." She looked at Gibbs. "Mimi and Lily have Mom's beautiful thick wavy hair."

Gibbs looked at Georgie and compared her to the pictures Mimi had shown her when she was younger or even ten years ago. There wasn't much similarity, except those beautiful blue eyes.

"Hi, Grandma!" Lily wrapped her arms around her. Georgie looked surprised and looked at her. She looked at Mimi and Mandy and said, "Lilylilylily."

Mimi burst into tears. Gibbs placed his hand on her back. He remembered that Christmas when he was worried his own dad might be suffering from early dementia.

"Hahahaha…" Georgie smiled. "You betcha'!" Then she started to sing: not words, just notes, very high and very loud.

He couldn't imagine how Mimi's sisters handled seeing their mother like this; and Mimi, who only saw her twice a year, when the changes would be more apparent.

Gibbs vowed that he was going to make sure Mimi took more trips home to Florida. Both of her parents had already lived longer than most. He wanted her to cherish as many moments with them as she could.

And he also vowed that he would take Mimi and Lily with him to see his dad more often, or fly his dad down more frequently. He needed to see those babies so they knew who he was.

Mimi had composed herself. "That was the best gift ever." She turned to Gibbs, who had pulled her into a hug. She turned back to mom. "Mom used to sing in the church choir, didn't you, Mom."

"You betcha'!" Georgie laughed.

**Thanksgiving 2013-Tony and Ziva's Home**

Everyone had gathered by noon, as dinner would be served at 1:30pm. They called Gibbs and spoke to him, Mimi and Lily.

Gibbs only said that he had spent some time with Mimi's dad talking to him about his WWII experience and that Lily had driven him around to some of her UF haunts while she was a student there.

"We miss you guys so much, but know you're having a great time with Mimi's family. When will you be home again?" Abby asked.

Gibbs chuckled. "I fly back on Sunday. Mimi, Lily and Bailey hit the road to head back on Monday."

Abby nodded. "Ok, well you make sure they are careful driving. The weather up here is hinky." It had been unusually cold, but there had been no precipitation as yet.

"Will do, Abbs." He hung up after she tried to get him to talk to Jethro and Bridget, shaking his head. He looked at Mimi and Lily and smiled. "Bailey!" Bailey immediately ran over to Gibbs, expected a treat.

"Bridget and Jethro said 'Hi'!" He deadpanned. Bailey's mouth was hanging open, expecting something to be put in it. When he heard Bridget's and Jethro's name, he looked around, as if expecting them to be there.

Not seeing them, he looked at Gibbs with a look that said. "Thanks for nothing" and wandered off. Mimi covered her mouth. "Oooh…he's mad at you now."

Gibbs shrugged. He had other things to worry about than a dog's feelings. By now, the rest of Mimi's family had arrived, and Gibbs really started to feel like the boy from across the wrong side of the tracks.

Mandy's husband was a doctor, as well as Bret. Kieran was a lawyer. They were both married and each had two children.

Mimi's other sister, Sophie, had also arrived. She too, was a physician, specializing in Maxillofacial Reconstruction, and in her "free" time she flew to third world countries to repair children's cleft palates and cleft lips and other facial deformities within her sphere of expertise.

She had been married, but was divorced over twenty years ago and decided being able to come and go as she pleased, especially with her work outside of the country, was a lifestyle she loved.

Still, he enjoyed the Thanksgiving Dinner and the laughter and camaraderie around the table reminded him of his family back home.

Mimi's family was not judgmental and welcomed him far more than he probably would have welcomed them. When they had finished eating, Mandy hit her glass with her fork.

"Ok," Mandy said, "You know the drill: everyone take hands and tell us what you are grateful for."

One by one, each person at the table gave their thanks. Some were humorous; some were quite serious; all were moving.

"Mimi?" Mandy prompted.

Mimi took a deep breath. "Well, first and foremost I am grateful for my Lily, my Thanksgiving baby, who turned twenty-two years old two days ago. I am grateful that we are able to spend another Thanksgiving as a family, although I wish Mom could be here.

No, No! I am not going to cry. This is a happy day." She looked at Gibbs. "But I am most grateful for Leroy Jethro Gibbs for being in our lives.

For making me feel that it is ok to love again, to feel loved again, for accepting us as his family, including Bailey." Everyone cheered at that.

"I am grateful for the day we met, which turned my life around and has made me the happiest woman in the world." She finished by kissing Gibbs, amidst a chorus of "Ahhhhhhhh."

Everyone looked at Gibbs. Fortunately, Mimi had warned him that this was their family tradition and he would be expected to say _something_.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

Everyone was stuffed and the boys were down in the "Man Cave" watching football.

Ziva, Abby and Breena were upstairs cleaning up, while Karina and Jamie were together in the playpen. Ducky was upstairs, sitting by the fireplace sipping a cup of tea, and regaling them with another tale from his vast experience.

Ziva and Breena both kept an eye on the babies, watching Karina's interaction with the baby. Her curiosity had not lessened.

She still was confused he didn't always answer her directly when she talked to him, but at least now he was babbling. They discussed many things, including the dogs, and where was Bailey?

Karina asked Jamie several times where Papa and Momo were, having not been satisfied with the answers Mama and Dada had given her, but he had not given a good answer either.

They also discuss how Karina's Mama and Be-Be seemed to have bigger tummies, which they concluded was because they ate too many teething cookies.

Karina patted Jamie on his back and he smiled and gurgled at her. Jamie loved Karina and loved being with her. He picked up one of the toys and waved it around.

Karina talked to him some more, discussing this toy. Ziva and Breena watched their dialogue in amusement.

"Do you think they are actually talking and understand each other? Can babies do that?" Abby asked.

Ziva smiled. "Oh, I have no doubt that they are communicating, but I am not sure it is just through words. Karina knows Gibbs, Mimi and Lily should be here and is confused that they are not."

She looked at Abby. "She's asked me and Tony several times about them."

Abby nodded. "She said their names to me, too. She also said 'doggy' so I guess she meant Bailey. Does she have a name for Bailey?"

Ziva shook her head, and was interrupted by a cheer downstairs. "Someone scored." Breena smiled.

**Gainesville, Florida**

Mimi's family was all looking at him, wondering what he was going to say.

Gibbs cleared his throat. "Well, first I'd like to thank everyone for being so welcoming, and accepting me so quickly." He paused.

"I am grateful that my family, my team is safe and whole and we are still together." Everyone knew about the bombing at NCIS, and Gibbs had reluctantly described the day to them, leaving out the part how he had eventually killed Harper Dearing himself with his personal knife.

"And growing!" Mimi added.

Gibbs chuckled. "Well, yeah, that too. We already have two babies and two, no three, more on the way."

"Don't drink the water at NCIS, Mimi!" Mandy and Sophie both piped up, cracking up the girls. Gibbs looked confused.

"Never mind, Jethro. Work joke." Mimi waved her hand, while shooting daggers at her giggling sisters.

"Ok, if you say so." He turned to Mimi. "But mostly I am grateful that I met this beautiful woman, who changed my life; who allowed me to keep the best of the past, but not let it hold me back; to have the courage to move on, to love and trust again; for letting Lily and Bailey be a part of my life, and for loving me despite my faults. And with that having been said…"

Gibbs got up from his chair and pulled Mimi out of hers. She looked confused.

Slowly, Gibbs kneeled down on to one knee. He looked up at her and quipped. "This is only going to happen once because I'm not sure I'll be able to get back up." Mimi gasped.

Gibbs took her hand and held out a ring. "Jemimah Lydia Allen, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Mimi was crying so hard, Gibbs wasn't sure he heard her answer at first, but she held out her hand and he slipped the diamond on her finger.

The entire table erupted in cheers and got up to hug Mimi. Gibbs actually got up on his own and took Mimi in his arms and kissed her deeply.

"Did you really just ask that? Was I dreaming?" Mimi looked into his eyes. "Yes, I did, and as far as I can tell, you said yes. So you're stuck with me."

_**Finally! I wrote this proposal in August and had to wait until Thanksgiving came around in this story before I could post it. Hope everyone is happy. Mimi's family is mine, with names, careers, appearance, general demeanor and place of residence changed to protect the innocent. **_


	35. Chapter 35

_**Gibbs took her hand and held out a ring. "Jemimah Lydia Allen, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"**_

_**Mimi was crying so hard, Gibbs wasn't sure he heard her answer at first, but she held out her hand and he slipped the diamond on her finger.**_

_**The entire table erupted in cheers and got up to hug Mimi. Gibbs was actually got up and took Mimi in his arms and kissed her deeply.**_

"_**Did you really just ask that? Was I dreaming?" Mimi looked into his eyes. "Yes, I did, and as far as I can tell, you said yes. So you're stuck with me."**_

Chapter Thirty-Five:

Lily hugged her mom and Gibbs at the same time. She was crying so hard, that Mimi was at first concerned.

"I talked to Lily yesterday and asked her if it was ok." Gibbs told Mimi.

Mimi whirled on her daughter. "How did you keep it to yourself? I never would have been able to keep a straight face."

"Daddy also asked Grandpa for permission." Lily said, beaming.

Mimi looked at Gibbs, her eyes shining and sliding to her Dad's face. He was smiling with everybody but his hearing was so bad, she wasn't sure he actually heard Jethro's proposal.

Mimi's family all hugged Gibbs. Mandy and Sophie had tears in their eyes. "Thank you for allowing our sister to believe in love again."

Gibbs was overwhelmed by everyone's response. "Let's call Tony and Ziva!" Lily exclaimed.

"No." Gibbs said. "I think we should do it in person, when you get back, ok with you Lily? You can invite Sean over if you want."

That got the table talking about Sean and soon Lily was blushing and telling them all about her boyfriend.

Gibbs took the opportunity to pull Mimi out by the covered pool. She touched his face. "Oh, Jethro. I am so happy. Are you sure, are you absolutely sure?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't, and certainly not in front of your family. I love you, Mimi. You taught me to love again, to love the way that matters."

They kissed passionately, but aware that Mimi's family was just inside and her father had an annoying habit of walking in on people.

**Friday, St. Petersburg, FL**

Mimi, Lily, and Gibbs drove down to St. Pete so Mimi could visit her brother's grave at Woodlawn Cemetery on First Avenue South and 58th Street. It was the first time she had seen the headstone, and Mimi and Lily cried.

Gibbs was sorry he had never had the privilege to meet him. Also at the cemetery were Mimi's Dad's parents and one of his aunts. Multiple other relatives were at Royal Palms Cemetery across the street.

But the other cemetery she took him took was to see Momo's grave, which was just a small crematorium attached to Popo's headstone. He had died long before Mimi was born.

She and Lily put flowers on the headstone and told Momo about Gibbs and the team and the babies.

Mimi looked at Gibbs with shining eyes. "She would have gotten such a kick out of Karina."

The rest of the day in Pinellas County was seeing the house Mimi grew up in and where she went to school. She was shocked to see her High School had been torn down and rebuilt.

She almost drove past it because she didn't recognize it. "Oh, Bogie, what have they done to ye." Mimi said in dismay.

"Bogie?" Gibbs asked.

Mimi laughed. "Boca Ciega High School. Our pep song was to the tune of "Colonel Bogey March", you know from "The Bridge on the River Kwai?

Anyway, we called it Bogie for short. Dixie Hollins High School is Dixie; St. Petersburg High School is St. Pete, just like the city."

Her junior high, Disston was still standing, but had been altered and was no longer a school. And Child's Park Elementary had been razed and rebuilt, just like Bogie.

They drove around old downtown St. Pete, which had been revitalized. For fun, they drove over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. It was a beautiful bridge, rated number three by the Travel Channel of the "Top Ten Bridges in the world".

It galled them the think they had to pay $4.50 to drive over the crappy, falling down Harry Nice Bridge in Southern Charles County in Maryland to cross the Potomac River to get to Virginia; yet this huge beautiful bridge spanning Tampa Bay cost $1.00 to cross.

Gibbs thought for a minute. "Hey, I remember an episode of 'Route 66' when one of the main characters got married and they were driving a cab across this bridge. The cab broke down, and he got out the cab and cab driver threw him off the bridge.

It was so shocking! A main character from a popular TV show killed on the show. Turns out he wasn't killed after all. I don't remember the character's name, but he was played by Martin Milner, who was later on 'Adam-12'."

Mimi looked surprised. "I'll have to ask my Dad about that. I do know they used to film some of the episodes of the show around here."

They started heading back to Gainesville around three p.m., knowing they had a long drive a head of them.

**Tim and Abby's Home**

The team went into work on Friday, but it was mostly a "catch up on reports" day. Abby didn't have a very good day, the morning sickness being particularly bad.

"I think I ate too much rich food yesterday." She looked at her husband miserably.

So they stuck close to home after work, with Tim going out to the grocery store to get some ginger ale and crackers for Abby. He came home and found her asleep on the sofa.

He covered her with a soft fleece throw and kissed her forehead. He then headed into his new "Writer's Command Center", hoping for some inspiration.

He had typed about twenty pages of a story that was starting to take shape nicely when the motion lights at Gibbs' home went on.

Tim frowned, and turned off his lights so he could see outside better. He knew it wasn't Bailey, since he was in Florida with them.

It had been almost three weeks since the "fake dead Marine" call out. He had forgotten about it, what with everything that was going on, but now he was thinking how Gibbs was worried someone was checking out the team.

He didn't want to think that any of them were being watched, for any reason. He rummaged around until he found his binoculars, and trained them on the house.

He cursed at himself and vowed to get a pair of night vision goggles. He grabbed his cell and called Tony.

"Hey, yeah it's me. You know, this is probably nothing…ok, well I'm trying to. The motion detector lights just went on at Gibbs' house."

Tim listened to Tony. "Well, I didn't run into my backyard and look over the fence, I tried to see with my binoculars, but they don't work very well in the dark. Yes, thank you. I've already put it on my Christmas List."

Tim listened some more. "Ok, well how do you want to handle this?" Tim nodded his head. "Got it, see you in a few."

Tim turned out all of the lights in his house, as well as the motion detector lights in the back. He grabbed his gun and flashlight, and went out onto his deck.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

Tony hung up and hunted down Ziva. He found her upstairs getting Karina ready for bed. "Ziva, Tim just called. The security lights just went on at Gibbs' house. We're going to go check it out."

Ziva looked concerned, especially when she saw he had his gun. "You be careful. It could be just some kid poking around." She looked pointedly at his gun.

"I will. Look, I'm locking up the house after me and putting on the alarm. I'll call you when I'm back, Ok?" He kissed her and Karina.

"I wish I was going with you." Ziva whispered.

Tony kissed her again. "No way, Jose. Besides, you are on home detail right now." He looked serious. "If anything, I mean, _anything_ happens here, you call me immediately. You do not handle it yourself."

"Ooh… I love it when you go all 'manly man' on me." Ziva cooed.

Tony kissed her hard, and then took off. "I can't leave Tim without back up."

He ran down their stairs and to their front door. "But I'll be right back!" He yelled up the stairs.

**Tim and Abby's Home**

Tim quickly ran over to the fence, keeping low and quiet. He unlocked his side of the fence, knowing the other side was already unlocked. They had decided this in case they needed to get to Gibbs house quickly.

Tim silently opened one of the gate doors. He was stunned to see a person sitting on their glider. He called Tony.

"Yeah, McGee, I'm out front. What have you got?" Tony was breathing hard from running.

"Tony, I'm in their back yard by the fence. Someone is sitting on their glider, but I don't have a good view."

Tony face tightened. "Ok, I am coming around the side. Make your way slowly. Do not, repeat, do not take any chances with this guy."

"Got it, Tony. I'm not stupid, you know." Tim said with irritation.

"Sorry, Tim. Didn't mean it like that. Just want Double Daddy-to-be to play it safe."

Tim had to smile as Tony's newest nickname for him. He continued to approach the person on the deck. He saw Tony at the side of the house.

They nodded to each other and then stepped out, guns drawn. "Federal Agents, show your hands!"

The figure didn't move. Tony and Tim moved closer and realized it was another mannequin, but this time it wasn't dressed in a military uniform.

It was just dressed in regular clothes. "How in the Hell…" Suddenly, Tony's cell rang. "Ziva?" He answered, worried.

"Tony, our front security light just went on." She told him. Tony's eyes opened wide. "Do not do anything! Stay in the house!" Tony grabbed Tim.

"Check your house, Tim!" Tony took off, running as fast as he could.

Tim's heart started racing, all sorts of horrible images entering his brain. _"Could this have been a ruse to get me and Tony away from our homes?"_

Tony never ran so fast. Once he turned onto his street, he could see their security light was on. Once he got closer to the house, he slowed down and crouched, trying to look invisible.

He didn't see anyone on the front or on the sides of the house. He walked up to the front door, and paled. Hanging on the door knob was a black ribbon.

It wasn't fancy, just some sort of black ribbon tied in a knot. Tony called Ziva. "It's me, I'm outside." She immediately opened the door and he came in and closed it shut and locked it.

"What happened?" She asked, her eyes wide with concern.

"Let me call McGee first, honey." Tony didn't often call Ziva "honey" so she knew he was rattled.

Tim answered on the first ring. "Yeah, Tony. Black ribbon?"

"Shit!" Tony said. The action at Gibbs' house had been a ruse to get Tony and McGee to leave their homes, seemingly unprotected. This person just sent a message that no one was beyond his or her reach.

They decided against driving around the neighborhood looking for this perpetrator or a car that didn't belong, because it would mean leaving Abby at home alone.

Tony wasn't too worried about Ziva, but he was concerned about his daughter. He made sure all of the windows were locked and secured.

"McGee, did you look at your camera footage yet?" Tony asked.

"As we speak, Tony." Tim was typing a mile a minute. "There's someone, but the person is completely covered up, eyes, nose, mouth; everything he or she is wearing is black."

"Eyes are covered? Then how can they see?" Tony asked, irritated.

"Mirror sunglasses, Tony. Can't make out the eyes at all." Tim sighed. "Either this guy is a spook, or…"

"Or watches too many TV shows." Tony finished. "Or has read your books." He added grimly.

Tim's heart sank. They had already had a killer who was delusional and it was all based on Tim's book. He couldn't take it if that was what this was all about. Not again.

"God, I hope not. But none of this matches any scenario in any of my books, including the one I am working on right now." Tim firmly replied.

**Gainesville, FL**

Saturday was a laid back day, except for Mimi's sisters trying to plan the wedding.

"So when are you thinking about getting married? You'll be getting married here, of'course. I think a March wedding would be lovely, that's the nicest month in Florida. No, I think October. No, that's too far away…" and on and on.

Poor Mimi was torn between bemusement at her sisters' excitement and her own bewilderment over the whole thing.

Gibbs removed himself from the conversation. He already had his own idea about how and when they were getting married and it was not correlating at all with what he was hearing in the dining room.

He was sitting on the back patio, admiring the beautiful pool and landscaped yard. Lily came out and stared the pool.

"Hey, Lily. Tired of all of the wedding talk, too?" Gibbs joked.

Lily stiffened and started moving pillow cushions around and pulling deadheads off of the flowering plants.

"Lily?" Gibbs was standing beside her.

She slowly looked up at him, and he could see the hurt in her eyes. "Lily, what happened? Did you and Sean have a fight?

Do you want me to send Tony and Tim over to his house and take him for a drive to scare the living daylights out of him?"

At that, Lily smiled, but it just as quickly went away. She just shook her head "no".

"Then what's wrong? I don't like seeing my Lily upset." Gibbs rubbed her back.

At that, she burst into tears and ran through the house and out the front door.

Gibbs ran into the house, stunned. Mimi and her sisters also stood. Mimi looked at Gibbs. "Jethro, what happened?"

Gibbs looked at his "fiancé". He looked confused. "I have no idea, but I'm going to find out."

He ran out the door and down the driveway. He spotted Lily about half-way down the street. "Lily! Come on; give an old man a break, will ya'? I can't run as fast as you, but I will keep going until I catch up with you."

At that, Lily stopped running; her head down. Finally, Gibbs reached her and had to put his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"Ok, what is wrong, Lily?"

"You said I was 'your Lily'." She cried, the tears running down your face.

"You are." Gibbs looked confused, taking her into a hug.

"Then why can't I be Lily Gibbs?" She cried.

Gibbs was shocked. He hadn't thought about how marriage to Mimi would affect Lily, except that he thought she would be happy about it.

"_Lily Gibbs?"_ Gibbs thought to himself. Instead, he decided to find out more about this. "Who said you couldn't?" He asked.

"Every one!" She cried. "Well, my aunts and my cousins. They said once you and Mommy got married I don't automatically become your daughter and become a Gibbs, like Mommy does.

But you are my Daddy, and I don't have any other daddy, only you. I don't want to be Lily Allen; I want to be Lily Gibbs. Can't I be Lily Gibbs?"

Gibbs was shaken to the core by what Lily had just told him. He thought of Lily as a daughter, and he knew she thought of him as her "Daddy", because she never had one.

"Lily, you've been Lily Allen your whole life. That is the name of your father. Don't you want to keep that?" Gibbs asked gently.

"I never knew him, and his family has never had anything to do with us. Our last names could be Jones. You are the only daddy I have ever had."

Gibbs hugged her tightly and kissed her hair. "I would be thrilled if you became Lily Gibbs. It is a little unusual to adopt a twenty-two year old, but if that's we have to do…"

Lily was looking at Gibbs, her eyes were huge. "You would do that? They said you wouldn't because you already had your daughter and you wouldn't want to replace her."

Gibbs looked down. "Lily, no one will ever replace Kelly. I don't want to replace Kelly. But that doesn't mean that there isn't room in my heart for another daughter." Gibbs paused, thinking hard about his words.

"If this was a year ago, the thought of having this conversation would never have entered my mind, and if it had been suggested to me, I would have told them they were crazy.

But then I met you, and your mom. And I have been able to accept that I am no longer willing to live a life based on the past. That my life is worth living for and there is a wonderful future for me, if I would only open my heart. Your Mom…and you…gave me that gift."

"Oh, Daddy!" Lily cried into his chest. Gibbs rubbed her back and let her cry. Maybe he _was_ getting better at this.

When she was done, he took her hand and they walked back to the house. Mimi was waiting in the driveway for them, worry and concern etched on her face.

"See?" Gibbs said. "You made you mom get those little worry line between her eyes. His look at Mimi said "we need to talk."

"Lily, go inside and wash your face, your makeup is all over the place." Mimi told her daughter. At that, Lily looked horrified and ran into the house.

Mimi walked up to Gibbs. "Jethro, what in the world just happened?"

Gibbs looked uncomfortable, since he just promised Lily he would adopt her without discussing it with Mimi first. What if Mimi didn't want Lily to change her name, to keep that last memory of her first husband?

"Lily was upset because she was going to be the only one in the house who was not named Gibbs." He began.

Mimi gasped softly. 'I never considered it would matter to her, but…you are her Daddy." Mimi said softly.

Gibbs pulled Mimi into a hug. "Which is why, if it's ok with you, and I know how unorthodox this is; but I would like to adopt Lily as my daughter, so she can be a Gibbs, too. If it's ok with you…" Gibbs repeated and his voice trailed off.

Mimi looked at Gibbs in disbelief. "You would do that?" She asked

Gibbs cocked his head and gave his crooked smile. "Well, yeah. Lily is my daughter as far as I'm concerned. We're going to make _us_ legal; we may as well make her legal too."

Mimi kissed him, laughing. "You make her sound like she's _illegal_ or something."

Gibbs smiled. "Well, I guess it comes with the job." He looked at Mimi. "So, are you ok with this?"

"Oh, yes, Jethro. It is the most selfless act I have ever seen." Mimi leaned her head on his chest.

_**Thanks as always for the great reviews. Hope you weren't bored by the walk down memory lane for me as they explored St. Pete, my home for the first twenty-seven years of my life.**_


	36. Chapter 36

_**Gibbs cocked his head and gave his crooked smile. "Well, yeah. Lily is my daughter as far as I'm concerned. We're going to make us legal; we may as well make her legal too."**_

_**Mimi kissed him, laughing. "You make her sound like she's illegal or something."**_

_**Gibbs smiled. "Well, I guess it comes with the job." He looked at Mimi. "So, are you ok with this?"**_

"_**Oh, yes, Jethro. It is the most selfless act I have ever seen." Mimi leaned her head on his chest.**_

Chapter Thirty-Six: "Welcome to the Family"

Mimi looked at Gibbs. "And all that wedding stuff? I know you were probably just thinking of going down to city hall for a civil ceremony."

She took a deep breath. "Jethro, I had my big huge wedding when I was 19 years old. I don't need all of that. All I care about is that you and Lily and our family are there."

"Well, I was thinking more of the lines of a small ceremony, at home with a big party afterwards, but whatever you want is fine with me." Gibbs said quietly.

"And when were we thinking about doing this?" Mimi asked.

Gibbs smiled. "As soon as possible, but I guess that's not realistic. You know, my team is going to go into shock. You may need to resuscitate some of them."

Mimi giggled at that. "Well, I agree we get married at home…our home, not here in Florida. My family has all seen me married. None of your team has seen you get married. Or have they?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Tony, Ducky and Abby are the only ones who have lived through any of my marriages. If they went to one it was the last one. It was so long ago, I don't remember."

Mimi chuckled. "Well, we will make sure every one of them are there this time. If my family can come, great. If not, they'll have to get over it. Come on, let's get back inside. We only have one evening left before you leave tomorrow. Let's make it a fun one."

**Ronald Reagan Airport-Washington, D.C.**

Tony, Ziva and Karina went to pick Gibbs up when his flight came in. Tony was standing at the window with Karina watching the planes come and go.

She laughed and clapped her hands. "Tony!" Ziva called out. She had spotted Gibbs coming out of the terminal area.

They watched him walked toward them, with a broad grin on his face. "Ok, either he is really glad to be home, or he had a great time in Florida." Tony whispered to Ziva.

"Papa!" Karina squealed, her little arms reaching out. Gibbs walked toward the family, put his bag down and took Karina in his arms.

"Hi, Princess. Were you good girl while I was gone?" Gibbs asked, planting kisses all over her face that made her giggle.

She looked past him, and then put her hands on his face. "Momoli-li?"

"Not yet, sweetie, couple of days." Karina kissed him and laid her head on his shoulder. Tony took his bag, so Gibbs could hold Karina as they headed for the car.

"How was Florida, Gibbs?" Ziva asked once they got into the car.

"Hot." He replied drily. Tony smirked.

"No, not the state, your trip." Ziva pressed. Gibbs smiled.

"It was…a lot of family, a lot of memories for Mimi. A lot like our get-togethers, except I only knew three people there, well four counting myself." Gibbs answered.

"Mimi, Lily, who's the other person you knew, Boss?" Tony asked.

Gibbs looked at Tony like he had a screw loose. "Bailey, who do you think?"

Tony looked at Ziva with a worried expression on his face.

After they got settled into the car, and got on Route One, Gibbs spoke up.

"How are you guys? Any cases come up?"

"Uh, no, Boss. But we did have an…incident at home." Tony said.

Gibbs sat up straight at that. "What are you talking about?"

Tony explained what happened at his house and then what he and Tim found on their front doors.

"Why didn't you call me?" Gibbs growled.

"Why? So you could leave your family holiday and look at some black ribbons? There were no prints; finger, shoe or…ass."

Gibbs stared at the back of Tony's head. "Uh, Boss. You're staring at the back of my head, aren't you?"

Gibbs just sat there for a few minutes. Finally he couldn't stand it. "Ass print?"

Tony looked at Ziva. "Ok, well since the body wasn't real, I guess there wouldn't have been a print anyway."

Gibbs looked worried. "Body? What body?"

Ziva turned her head so she could see Gibbs as she was talking to him.

"Your security lights went on Friday night. Tony and Tim went to check it out and found another mannequin, only this time it was sitting on your deck glider. It was not dressed in military uniform, just regular clothes."

Gibbs' face drained of color when Ziva said where the mannequin was.

"There's more, Boss. As soon as we got to your house and found the mannequin, our security lights went on." Tony added.

Gibbs sat up straight. "At both houses?" He asked, now getting mad.

Tony nodded. "Ziva called me and I high-tailed it home. Found a black ribbon tied around our front door knob. Same with Tim. We gave them to Abby to process."

Gibbs rubbed his face. This had now gone too far. It was bad enough when it was the team in the field, but this person now knew where they lived.

Tony continued. "We all think the mannequin at your house was a ruse to get Tim and me away from our own houses. We both looked at our security camera footage. We saw a figure dressed in black; face entirely covered, with mirror sunglasses on. There were no identifying features except height and build."

"Abby has reviewed the footage and has estimated that the person is probably male, five feet, ten inches and approximately 170 pounds." Ziva finished.

"We haven't looked at your footage, Boss. Figured you would want to do that before Mimi and Lily get back home." Tony said.

That reminded Gibbs of their little secret and he smiled. Tony caught it and grinned himself. "Miss them already, Boss?"

"DiNozzo, just keep driving. I want to see that footage." Gibbs then tickled Karina, who laughed so loud it made everyone in the car forget for a moment what was going on.

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home **

When they were about three blocks from the house, Ziva called Tim and told him they were almost there.Once they got inside the house, Ziva went to the back to let Tim, Abby and Jethro inside.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs! I missed you so much!" Abby gave him a bone crushing hug. He hugged her back and kissed her temple.

"I missed you too, Abbs." He laughed. He then became serious. He looked at Tony and Tim. "Show me."

They took him out on the deck and showed him where the mannequin had been sitting. Gibbs turned to them. "Where's the damn thing now?"

"In my lab, Gibbs. I've gone over it with a fine toothed comb but have come up negatory so far. Same with the ribbons. Nothing special, anyone can buy it anywhere."

Gibbs then realized that his team had worked the weekend, trying to find out who this guy is. He turned to Tim. "McGee, can you bring up my security footage?"

"Sure thing, Boss." Tim replied, going to Gibbs' laptop, his requirement for having the security system in place. "I just need you to sign in."

Gibbs grumbled, but sat down and signed into his security system software, then relinquished his seat to Tim.

Tim began typing rapidly. "Ok, here we are, Friday night footage." Tim began playing the streaming video until they caught sight of the figure."

"Stop!" Ziva said. "There, I see something."

Tim stopped and rewound in slow motion until the first frame showing the figure came into view. They then played the tape in normal time, watching the intruder slowly make his way to the back yard.

He was carrying the mannequin and a rake.

"Why is he carrying a rake? We didn't find a rake anywhere." Abby asked.

"I'll bet I know. It had rained that afternoon, remember? That would make the grass wet." Tony muttered.

"So we should have seen foot impressions in the grass." Tim said.

"Yep." Tony said grimly.

They continued watching as the security lights went on as soon as he neared the deck. He took his shoes off and ran up the steps to place the mannequin, quickly descended and slipped his shoes back on.

He then ran back the way he came, dragging the rake behind him and effectively removing his foot imprints. They watched it again, this time going over it frame by frame, but other than figuring out his shoes were canvas slip-ons, nothing new could be seen.

"Send this to Abby." Gibbs said. He didn't like this one bit. This didn't fit any prior M.O. that they had investigated in the past.

"He must have taken his shoes off before he came up to our doors, otherwise there would have been wet shoe prints all over the place." Tim said.

"Abbs, take another look at the footage from your house and Tony and Ziva's. See if you can tell if he is wearing shoes or not." He turned to Tony.

"Neither of you saw any foot imprints on your lawn, or shoe prints on the sidewalks leading up to your houses?" Tim and Tony both shook their heads "no".

"So what we know so far about this guy is his build, he can escape detection and he must be one hell of a runner." Gibbs summarized.

"Ok, well I'll get working on it right away, Gibbs." Abby said.

"Whoa, you're not going anywhere. It can wait until tomorrow. You've done enough work this weekend." Gibbs held her arm.

Abby melted into his arms. "I've missed the Great and Powerful Gibbs." She sighed.

Tony and Tim looked at each other. "Wait a minute! Are you saying I'm not great?" Tim asked.

"Or I'm not powerful?" Tony pouted.

Abby grinned. "No, I am saying neither of you is Gibbs."

Ziva put her arm around Tony's waist. "Well, I think you are great AND powerful."

Tony grinned, and then he saw the gleam in her eye. "I sense a 'but' in there."

Ziva grinned back at him. "BUT, Abby is right. You are not Gibbs. No one can replace my Abba."

She left Tony and joined Abby at Gibbs side. He just smiled wide and shrugged, as if saying "What can I say?"

Tony looked at Ziva like she was nuts. "Why would I want to be your father? Come here." He pulled her back, like a caveman marking his territory. Ziva just chuckled, patted his chest and gave him a quick kiss.

"You are so predictable." She murmured.

**Wednesday, December 4, 2013**

Fortunately, there had been no further "mannequin" incidents since Friday. Abby continued to work with the videos and wasn't able to glean any more information from it, which frustrated her to no end.

The other thing that frustrated her was her restriction on Caf-Pow. No matter how hard they tried, No-Caf-Pow did _not_ taste the same and Abby was ready to sue the advertisers after being off of the "real" thing for almost two months.

Ziva pulled old case files to see if she could find a similar pattern, but had so far come up empty. She was already chafing at the restrictions Gibbs had placed on her, but she didn't mind when she felt like she was actually accomplishing something.

"Take a break, Ziva." Gibbs said mildly, after Ziva slammed down another file. He turned away to hide his smile. He knew desk duty was a chore for her, but she had several more months to go, so she better get used to it.

Trying to lighten the mood, Tony piped up. "Hey, Boss! Have you heard from Mimi and Lily yet?"

"Yep." Gibbs said.

Tim looked at Tony, who looked at Ziva, who looked at Gibbs, who looked up to see his entire team staring at him, mouths open in disbelief.

"What?" He asked. Inside, he was laughing at their expressions. He couldn't wait to see their expressions tonight.

They all got up and stood in front of Gibbs' desk. Gibbs studiously ignored them for as long as he could before he couldn't hold his straight face anymore.

"Ok, they'll be home around four p.m. Everyone is expected over tonight to properly welcome them home. Spread the word. Bring the dogs. Bailey is lonely."

Tim smiled. "That's great, Boss! I'll go down and tell Abby. She can use some cheering up." Tim headed for the elevator.

Tony just grinned and squeezed Ziva's hand as they headed back to their desks.

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home**

Gibbs got home around five p.m., even though he wanted to leave earlier. He was uncharacteristically nervous about tonight. "Get a hold of yourself, Gibbs. You're acting like a first-timer!"

Mimi and Lily had made good time, and were home and unpacked by the time he got there. Mimi was running a load of laundry, when Gibbs came up behind her. He slowly put his hands on her waist and then kissed her neck.

"You better be careful." Mimi whispered. "My fiancé will be home any second." Gibbs chuckled and turned her around so he could kiss her properly.

"Welcome home, Babe." Gibbs murmured in her ear. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too. Babe." Mimi teased him. Gibbs didn't often use terms of endearment, but "Babe" was his favorite. Mimi didn't mind, as long as she was the one he was saying it to.

"Will the others be over later?" She asked, hopefully.

Gibbs chuckled. "Knowing them, probably sooner rather than later." He looked out the kitchen window. "I see Bailey and Jethro are already playing."

Mimi looked out as well. "Lily called Tim and Abby and asked them to open their side of the gate as soon as they got home. As soon as she saw that door swing open and Jethro come bounding through, she let Bailey out."

Mimi shook her head. "You would think they hadn't seen each other in years. Bailey got rid of a lot of excess energy, so now they are pretty calm."

"Yeah, well wait until their girlfriend gets here." Gibbs smiled. "Speaking of girlfriends, will Sean be joining our get-together tonight?"

"Yes…he…is! Hi, Daddy!" Lily almost jumped into his arms. Gibbs smiled and swung her around. "I'm so excited! Do you want to know why I'm so excited?" Lily twirled around.

Gibbs looked at Mimi and mouthed. _"Is she high?"_

Mimi looked shocked and said, "Leroy Jethro Gibbs, wash your mouth out with soap and take yourself to the woodshed!"

"Ah, gee Lily. I can't possibly imagine what you could be so excited about." Gibbs looked at Lily seriously.

She stopped mid-twirl and looked at him. "Ok, I get it. You think I am crazy, but I don't care! I have held this secret for…seven days! I mean, can you imagine?"

Gibbs looked at Mimi, who was trying not to laugh. "Well, yeah, Lily, I can. I've been with my team since Sunday and have had to watch every other word to make sure I didn't accidently say something."

He pulled her into a hug. "But I'm happy you're still excited about it. So any thoughts on how we are going to…make our announcement?" He directed this at Mimi.

"Well, I thought I'd do an 'Abby' for a while and just keep flashing my hand around to see if anyone picks up on it. If that takes longer than, oh I don't know, what do you think? Twenty minutes? Then you get everyone's attention and you pretend to propose to me again." Mimi smiled.

Gibbs looked confused, while Lily said "Genius, Mom." Lily turned to her soon-to-be adopted father.

"Daddy, what Mom means is that you say there is something you'd like to do, then turn to Mommy and say something like "I'd like to ask you to marry me…oh wait! I already did that on Thanksgiving Day! It's priceless. I need to film it!"

Gibbs groaned. It was hard enough the first time with a room full of strangers. He would be hard pressed to do it again, but he had to admit, it would shock the team.

"Lily, I seriously doubt that it will get to that point, but if it does, I will go along with the plan."

"Yay!" Lily hugged Gibbs again.

"How long did it take you to pick up on Abby's ring, Jethro?" Mimi asked.

Gibbs had to think back. "If I remember correctly, it was when Ziva was on bed rest with Karina. Abby came upstairs and just stood there for a while, with her arms crossed. Then she made some remark about me and Tony being Neanderthals. She started this tirade about how she slaves for me and no one pays her any attention."

Gibbs chuckled at the memory. "She ended her yelling by pointing her left hand at me. I still had no clue what she was going on about. I finally looked at McGee and he had covered his eyes with his left hand and was pointing to it. That's what it took for me to figure it out."

"Boy, you're pretty clueless, aren't you, Daddy?" Lily said in surprise.

Gibbs opened his mouth, but then chuckled. "Well, with Abby you just never know what you're going to get. Speaking of which, here are our first guests."

After two hours, everyone had shown up. Only Tony and Ziva had met Sean, so he was subjected to a thorough examination by everyone else. Lily stuck right by his side, holding his hand. He handled himself well, and everyone gave him a thumb's up to Gibbs and Mimi.

Mimi had taken her ring off until everyone was there. Now she was wearing it and was making no effort to hide it. Not surprisingly, no one picked up on it.

She handed people things, brushed her hair out of her eyes, pointed and waved her left hand around, but everyone just kept talking and visiting. Just as the twenty minutes was almost up, Ziva let out a gasp.

"Oh, my God!" She cried out. Tony looked up and ran to her side. "Honey, what is it, is it the baby?" He was shaking. Everyone immediately ran to Ziva, worried that something had happened.

Gibbs went and stood by Mimi, watching in amusement as everyone fussed over Ziva, who could not get a word out edgewise. Finally, Gibbs put his fingers in his mouth and let out a loud whistle.

At that, everyone went silent and looked at him. "Hey, Ziva is fine. She's just surprised that's all." Gibbs smiled.

Tony looked at Ziva, who was grinning. "What, what are we missing here?"

"Oh, nothing. We are just adding to our family, Tony." Ziva chuckled. She got up and hugged and kissed Mimi and Gibbs. Lily was jumping up and down. Suddenly the light bulb went on, and Tony grabbed Mimi's hand.

"Boss! Nice job!" He said, smiling. At that, everyone ran up and finally saw Mimi's ring. Mimi was crying, Gibbs was grinning, Tim was stunned and Abby and Lily were embracing each other.

Ducky came up to Gibbs and Mimi. "My Dear, my heartiest congratulations. You cannot do better." He kissed her and turned to Gibbs. "It's about time, Jethro; I thought I was going to die of old age before you got around to it."

Gibbs just laughed and gave Mimi a huge kiss. Karina had been watching all of the excitement and laughed and clapped with everyone else. When she saw Papa kissing Momo, she crawled over to Jamie, who was sitting on his baby pad. She went up to him and kissed him.

"Hey, look at Karina! Better watch out Tony and Jimmy. It looks like we may have another engagement here!" Tim laughed. Tony looked alarmed and went and scooped up his daughter.

"Oh no. We are not going anywhere near that any time soon, are we Daddy's little Angel?" Tony held her close to his chest.

"Daddy." Karina said. Everyone looked at her in surprise. Tony just beamed. "Hey, did you hear that? She said 'Daddy', didn't you punkin?" Tony was slightly embarrassed that he had tears in his eyes.

Ziva was quickly at his side, smiling wide at him, her hand on his arm.  
"Well, you are her 'Daddy' aren't you?"

_**The team knows, yay! May not be as quick with these updates, as I am trying to finish my other story "Deceit" before January 8**__**th**__**. Thanks as always for the great reviews. Glad many of you are intrigued by the "mannequin" case. **_


	37. Chapter 37

"_**Hey, look at Karina! Better watch out Tony and Jimmy. It looks like we may have another engagement here!" Tim laughed. Tony looked alarmed and went and scooped up his daughter. **_

"_**Oh no. We are not going anywhere near that any time soon, are we Daddy's little Angel?" Tony held her close to his chest. **_

"_**Daddy." Karina said. Everyone looked at her in surprise. Tony just beamed. "Hey, did you hear that? She said 'Daddy', didn't you punkin?" Tony was slightly embarrassed that he had tears in his eyes.**_

_**Ziva was quickly at his side, smiling wide at him, her hand on his arm.  
"Well, you are her 'Daddy' aren't you?"**_

Chapter Thirty-Seven: "Making Many Plans"

After much debate, Gibbs and Mimi decided to get married on December 31st. Tim thought it was a great idea for the tax break, but that was not the reasoning behind it.

Tony and Ziva offered them their New York Apartment to stay in for their honeymoon. "You can celebrate the New Year in Times Square!" Tony said.

Gibbs cocked his head and gave him his "are you nuts?" look. "Oh, I plan in ringing in the New Year, but it won't be in Times Square, I can guarantee you that." Mimi blushed, and Tony grinned.

They agreed that the wedding would be early in the day, around one p.m., with a short civil ceremony. Ziva and Abby both declined being bridesmaids in their present condition. Abby was already bigger than Ziva, but not by as much as she imagined.

As much as Gibbs wanted to include Tony and Tim, since he had taken part in their weddings, they convinced him that they were cool with sitting with their wives.

Much to their surprise, both of Mimi's sisters decided to fly up for the wedding. The rest of the family was a little disappointed it would not be a bigger affair down in Florida, but they understood.

Lily would give her mom away and act as Maid of Honor. Jackson was coming down for Christmas, so he would be Gibbs Best Man. He was thrilled that he and Mimi were getting married and he was getting a new granddaughter.

The next discussion would be where to hold the wedding. Tony and Ziva had the biggest house of the three, but Karina's birthday party would also be there on the 26th.

They didn't want to overburden them with two large gatherings almost back to back, but they insisted that they host the wedding.

Gibbs and Mimi would host the Christmas Party and Tim and Abby would host the New Year's Eve party, sans the newlyweds.

Gibbs' biggest concern was where to house everyone. He had two spare bedrooms, but he didn't want three defenseless females and his father in their home while they were in New York, not with this unknown guy out there playing tricks on them.

He hadn't told Mimi about the incident at the house, as he didn't want her to worry. Finally it was decided that Mimi's sisters and Jackson would stay with Tim and Abby and Lily would stay with Tony and Ziva.

All three of them installed pressure plate alarms on all of the entrances to their homes, which sent out an ear-piercing siren if anyone over one hundred pounds stood on it.

It could be deactivated by remote control, so Tony or Tim could turn it off when they went over daily to check on the house while they would be gone.

**NCIS**

The whole building was abuzz with the news that Special Agent Gibbs was getting married _again_. Other than his team, no one else had met Mimi and she had not come to visit him at work. Today however, he decided they would have lunch together and she would meet him at the Navy Yard.

Tony and Ziva were working at their computers when Gibbs' phone rang. "Send her right up." He smiled.

Tony and Ziva looked up. "Mimi's here, I take it?" Tony asked.

Gibbs just smiled and said "Ya' think, DiNozzo?" He went and stood by the elevator, waiting. Soon the doors opened and Mimi stepped for the first time into the bullpen.

She was immediately put off by the orange walls, but she had already been warned about them and how Director Vance insisted everything go back to the way it was before the bomb blast.

He took her around and introduced her to the other Agents in the room. By the time he got to his desk, Tim had come back upstairs from seeing Abby. "Hi, Mimi. Welcome to our little slice of heaven." She smiled.

Not more than once did Mimi think that Tim had really dreamy eyes when he smiled liked that with his eyes slightly closed. He had that look right now, which she took to mean he had just seen Abby.

"So this is where we save the world." Tony quipped. Mimi chuckled.

"I see you and Ziva are seated across from each other. Has it always been that way, or just since you've been together?"

"Mimi, that's how we got together. I mean, how could Ziva not look at me every day, seeing me work and be the manly man that I am and not fall in love with me?" Tony grinned widely. Ziva held up a paperclip.

"Well in that case, I guess if you and McGee had been seated across each other all these years, you two would have gotten together?" Ziva asked nonchalantly.

"What? No! What's wrong with you? She's just kidding, Boss." He gave Ziva a look that said "wait until I get you home."

Her look back said "I can't wait" and he smiled and relaxed.

"See what I put up with every day? It's amazing we get any work done. Come on, Leon said to bring you up when you got here." Gibbs guided her up the stairs.

They were sent right in. Leon rose from his chair and gave Mimi a kiss on the cheek. He looked at Gibbs and smiled. "I am allowed to kiss the bride-to-be, aren't I.?"

"As long as I am standing right beside her, you are." Gibbs smiled. Vance chuckled. "Well, Jackie and I are very happy for the both of you. I understand you will be spending your honeymoon in New York City?"

Mimi nodded. "I've never been there, so I'm really looking forward to seeing at least _one_ site." Vance chuckled at that as well, knowing what she probably meant by that.

He looked at Gibbs and winked. "Try to take in a least one Broadway show or go to the World Trade Center Memorial. Jackie and I went there this summer. It is very moving."

Gibbs nodded. "Tony and Ziva went there too, when they were on their honeymoon. I didn't know it until then, but Tony had a college friend killed in one of the towers."

Vance looked at Gibbs. "I didn't know that. Makes the memorial all the more poignant. Anyway, I don't want to keep you. I just wanted to give you our personal congratulations."

"You and Jackie will be coming, right?" Mimi asked.

"Oh, we wouldn't miss this for the world." He replied.

"I'll just bet you wouldn't, Leon. Thanks, see you later." Gibbs looked at Vance, who was laughing at him.

"That was nice." Mimi said. She turned to Gibbs. "I would really like to see Abby's lab. It will give me a better idea of what she's dealing with."

"Ok, do you want me to let her know we're coming down? I'm sure one of them has already called her to let her know you are here." Mimi thought about and shook her head.

"I hate to say this, but I'd like to see how she really works without me knowing it, so I can see if she is doing something she shouldn't."

"You should have been a spook." Gibbs shook his head.

"I didn't need to be. I'm a mother." Mimi replied.

The elevator opened and the first thing Gibbs noticed is that there was no blaring music. Instead, classical music was playing. They peered around the corner so Mimi could get a look inside.

Abby was at her computer, but she was on a rolling chair that was high enough that she was almost standing. Mimi was pleased to see that Abby had neoprene gloves and plenty of facemasks around.

"Ok, I've seen enough." Mimi whispered.

"Hey, Abbs!" Gibbs called out.

"Gibbs! Gibbs! Oh, Mimi! You're here!" She gave her a big hug. "Welcome to 'Labby', the place where the strange and wonderful are explained."

"What's with the music, Abby? Not that I don't prefer it, but this isn't your usual noise."

"Not nice, Gibbs!" She looked sheepish. "The babies didn't like listening to my usual playlist. I keep experimenting, and classical seems to be a winner for the moment."

"How did you know the babies didn't like your…usual music?" Mimi asked, interested.

Abby made a face. "Oh, mean kicks and indigestion. It's like they were playing jump rope with my esophagus." Mimi tried to visualize that, but was glad she couldn't.

"How are things going for you down here? I see you've made some shoe adjustments." Mimi looked at Abby's non-skid slippers.

Abby looked down at her feet. "My normal shoes were throwing me off balance, so I've reluctantly retired my favorites to the closet until post babies."

Mimi smiled. "Good idea. I see you Friday, I believe. We can talk more then. Remember to keep your feet up as often as you can. I'm sure Jethro won't have any problems with you taking ten minutes here and there to sit with your legs elevated. Will you, Jethro?" Mimi turned to him.

He knew the answer to that question, since Mimi had already answered for him. "Do what your Nurse says, Abby."

He turned to Mimi. "Let's go eat, unless you want to go to Autopsy to see Ducky and Jimmy first."

"Oh, why not? I'm here. I would hate for them to know I was here and visited everyone but them."

"Ok, but I don't know if he is in the middle of anything or not." Gibbs warned.

Mimi took his hand in hers. "Jethro, please. I _am_ a Nurse." She shook her head.

They got back on the elevator and headed down to autopsy. Gibbs peered in first and saw a body, but they weren't doing anything major with it yet.

"Why, hello Jethro. Mimi! My dear, what a pleasant surprise! To what do we owe the honor of your visit?" Ducky kissed her hand.

Mimi wondered once again how this charming, charismatic, brilliant man never married. "Jethro asked me to lunch and suggested I finally come down here and see where, as Tony puts it, the world gets saved."

Ducky smiled at that. "Jimmy and I were just beginning our initial examination of this poor fellow. But I don't suppose you want to hear his sad tale, not while you have lunch waiting."

"How's Jamie, Jimmy?" Mimi asked.

Jimmy broke out in a big grin. "He's great. Babbling and always happy. Breena and I are very lucky."

"Well, I think Jamie is the lucky one. Happy babies usually come from very caring and happy parents."

Jimmy beamed at that. Ducky beamed himself. "Yes, do you know that my Grandson tried to eat one of my bow ties? I'm sure it was quite distasteful, but he was very determined."

Mimi stifled a giggle. "It was almost impossible to get it out of his little hands, very strong he is. Fortunately, it was not one of my favorites." Ducky continued.

"Well, thank God for that. Ok, well, nice chatting, we're going to lunch. Later Duck, Palmer." Gibbs guided Mimi out of Autopsy and back into the elevator.

Once inside, Mimi broke down in giggles. "Actually, that could have been bad if Jamie had swallowed the damn tie. Jethro, why hasn't Ducky ever married?"

Gibbs looked at her in surprise, and then frowned. "Beats me. He speaks often of several women that sound like they were the loves of his life. I personally think he gave up his private life to care for his mother. And she lived to be almost 100 years."

"I guess that would put a damper on bringing a date home." Mimi murmured.

"Yep. Let's go eat, I'm starving." Gibbs said.

**Tony and Ziva's Home- Dec 18****th**

Tony was downstairs, trying to put together the rocking horse he had bought for Karina for Christmas. It was plush, with a big mane and tail; a little saddle and bridle, and looked as real as a fake horse could look.

If he had his way, she would be getting a real pony, and he had not ruled it out one day, but Ziva told him he was being absurd.

"Where would we keep a pony? In the back yard? I am pretty sure there are zoning laws against that sort of thing." Ziva argued.

The only thing Tony got out of that argument was the surprise that Ziva knew about zoning laws.

Ziva was playing the piano. She liked to play daily, to keep in practice, but didn't always have time with their schedule. Karina was in the family room with her, having pulled herself up by the sofa.

Ziva chuckled as Karina "danced" to Ziva's music. Suddenly, she let go of the sofa and took a step away from it. She had started standing on her own about two and half weeks ago, but as yet had not made any attempts at walking.

Ziva continued to play as she watched her daughter. Karina looked perplexed, as she took another step, and then plopped down on her bottom.

Ziva stopped and scooped her up. "What a big girl you are!" She covered her in kisses. "Tony, come up here." Ziva called down the stairs.

"Right now? I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"Yes, right now if you would like to see if your daughter will walk again for you." Ziva could hear the tools being thrown down and winced, hoping he didn't just ding up their hardwood flooring.

He ran up the stairs, and was breathing heavy by the time he got to them.

"Do you mean she just walked and you didn't call me up?" Tony sounded hurt.

Ziva went to him immediately to soothe his feeling. "I was playing and I saw her take a step. I didn't want to startle her by yelling. She took two steps than sat down."

"Who's the big girl?" Tony took Karina and swung her around. Karina squealed in delight. "Daddy!" she cried out happily.

He looked at Ziva. "Ok, let's see if she'll do it again. Uh, I'll go sit over here and you sit in the chair"

Ziva did as Tony instructed and watched. Tony sat on the floor with Karina, standing her up and dancing with her. He then turned her around and said, "Ok, punkin, go to Mommy. Go on, you can do it."

Karina stood by herself in the family room, looking at her Mommy who was holding her hands out to her. Karina giggled and started to lift a foot. This time she took three steps before she sat down.

Tony and Ziva clapped and cheered, so Karina did too. She was very excited because Mommy and Daddy were excited…and now, Bridget was involved. Ziva had the dog come sit by her.

"Ok, let's try again. I'll move a little closer, maybe it's too far."

Tony stood her up again and told her she was Daddy's princess. "Go see Mommy. Mommy loves Karina."

"Yes, my Karina. Mommy loves her princess too. Can you come to Mommy?" Ziva encouraged her daughter again holding her arms out.

It was only five steps, but Karina DiNozzo walked into her mother's arms. Again they all clapped. Ziva wiped her eyes. "Mommy boo-boo?" Karina asked. Ziva looked up in surprise and joy. Tony had to wipe some tears away as well.

"She called me Mommy." Ziva marveled at her daughter. She smothered her in kisses. "No boo-boos, sweetness. Tony, go get your phone."

Tony pulled it out of his pocket. "Got it right here." He said.

"Well, then put that thing on 'video' and let's see if we can get Karina to walk back to you." Ziva said,

Tony hit his forehead. "We should have been filming this all along. This is an important milestone."

"Ready?" Ziva asked. Tony nodded.

Ziva put Karina down, facing Tony. "Go see Daddy, Karina. Go give Daddy a big kiss!"

Karina laughed at that and toddled her way over to her Daddy. She looked like a drunken sailor, but that didn't matter. When she reached her Daddy, she squealed and gave him a big kiss. Tony rolled on the carpet with her, tickling her and getting her even more excited than she was.

"Do you think we should call everyone over?" Tony asked, breathless.

Ziva looked at the clock. "It is late, and Abby should not walk this far in the night. Let's look at the video."

Tony and Karina went over to Ziva, placing Karina in her lap. Tony turned on the video and they laughed at Karina's expression as she was walking to Tony.

"Send it out to everyone, if they feel up to coming over, they can. I am sure Gibbs will run right over here."

Sure enough, they no sooner sent it out when they got a text from Mimi. "Can we come over?"

They got there five minutes later, Gibbs surprising them by driving.

"What, too far to walk?" Tony poked fun at Gibbs.

Gibbs ignored him. He went to his granddaughter, who was thrilled to see everyone. "What's this about you walking and not telling me about it first?" He asked, giving her a big kiss.

Karina giggled. She was sitting on the carpet but got up into a standing position. They all watched her to see what she would do. She looked at everyone, grinning with her two lower teeth showing.

Suddenly she took off and stumbled around until she ran into Gibbs legs. Everyone clapped. "That was so cute!" Lily exclaimed. "I can't wait to have a baby.'

The room became eerily silent at that. Lily looked scared then looked at her mom. "You know, after I finish school and get married." Mimi stared at her daughter.

Gibbs cleared his throat. "You're right. She does walk like a drunken sailor, but most babies do until they get their balance better."

He picked up Karina. "What a big girl you are! I am so proud of you!"

"She also called me Mommy." Ziva said happily.

"She's really doing quite well with her speaking skills. Which reminds me: with all of the 'grandfathers' in her life, you may want to come up with different variations so Karina will know who is who."

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

"Well, right now she calls Jethro 'Papa'. Does she have a name for your father Tony, or yours Ziva? And then there is Jethro's dad. They can't all be 'Papa'. It will be to confusing, not just for Karina, but for your newest one and the twins."

"Well, what would you prefer to be called, Gibbs?" Ziva asked, her eyes happy.

Gibbs thought about it for a while. "Well, I think once she's able to say it, I would prefer 'Grandpa'. 'Papa' really means father, but I get that it's easy for her to say right now."

"Well, my dad can be 'Granddad'. I never liked the 'Grandpa Gibbs', 'Grandpa DiNozzo', and 'Grandpa David' concept." Tony contributed.

Ziva nodded approvingly. "My father can be 'Grandpapa' as I called him Papa as a child, and I think he will like that."

"What about your dad, Gibbs?" Tony asked.

"Gramps, Grampy, Grumpy…he won't care." Gibbs was laughing with Karina.

"I like Grampy. I always wanted a Grampy, instead I had a Grandfather. Way too formal for me." Tony said.

"What about you Mimi?" Ziva asked softly.

Mimi looked startled. "Me?"

Tony smiled. "Well yeah. I know Karina calls you Momo because that is how she says Mimi. But would you prefer her calling you Mimi or Grandma." Tony shook his head. "You're younger than me and here I am asking you if you want to be called Grandma."

Mimi looked at Gibbs, who grinned at her. "Well, I guess once we are married, I am the grandma by marriage. So, yeah, ok. I would love to be called Grandma. If Tim and Abby prefer their kids call me Mimi that's ok too."

"Why would they do that?" Ziva asked.

"Probably because she's too young to be a grandma." Tony answered.

"Well, that's not true, but I am thankful it's not true in the genetic sense, if you get my drift, Lily."

"Speaking of which," Lily began, ignoring her mom. "Since Daddy is adopting me, does that mean I am Aunt Lily?"

Tony and Ziva both looked at Gibbs. "Oops. Was I not supposed to say that?" Lily covered her mouth.

"Are you really?" Ziva asked. She turned to Mimi.

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, she wouldn't let me marry her mom unless I adopted her."

"Daddy! Jethro!" They both said at once.

"Sorry. Yes, it's true. Lily is my daughter and she wants to be a Gibbs and I want her to be a Gibbs too. So once we get back from our honeymoon, we'll file the paperwork."

"That's great, Lily-pad!" Tony got up and gave her a big hug. Ziva had tears in her eyes.

"I am so happy for you. Lily Gibbs. It sounds nice. Although I have a feeling it will be changing again soon." She smiled.

"Not too soon." Mimi said with finality.

"Boy, are you a grump!" Lily complained.

"Sorry, just…one of those days." Mimi said. She got up and went into the kitchen.

Ziva looked after her, worried. She got up and followed her into the kitchen. "Would you like something to drink, Mimi?"

"Just some water, thanks." She said quietly. "I'm sorry if I'm acting bitchy. It's that time of the month, and I never know what I am going to get. I was sure I was in full blown menopause, and then everything came back with a vengeance."

She took a sip of water. "Last month was pretty mild, but this month is a doozy. The good news is at least I shouldn't have my period on my honeymoon. That would suck big time."

_**Thanks as always for the great reviews. So let's see, we have Christmas, Karina's 1**__**st**__** BD and the wedding all in the next two weeks (story time). How fun is that?**_


	38. Chapter 38

"_**Just some water, thanks." She said quietly. "I'm sorry if I'm acting bitchy. It's that time of the month, and I never know what I am going to get. I was sure I was in full blown menopause, and then everything came back with a vengeance."**_

_**She took a sip of water. "Last month was pretty mild, but this month is a doozy. The good news is at least I shouldn't have my period on my honeymoon. That would suck big time."**_

**Usual Disclaimer: I own nothing**

_**Ed. Note**_**: Mimi's age. I am pretty sure it had already been mentioned that Mimi is close in age to Tony, going on the assumption that Tony is near the same age as MW, which makes him no older than 44. Lily was born in 1991, Mimi found out she was pregnant after her husband was killed. And Mimi states she got married at the age of 19. If she got pregnant on her honeymoon, then she would have been born in 1971, which would make her mother 46 at the time of her birth. In my mind, she was married two years prior to Lily's birth, which would make her birth year more like 1969/70, and her mom closer to 44, which is old, but not impossible. Mimi was a "surprise" baby. MW was born in 1968, and states in a season 2 episode that he graduated from college in 1991. Most kids graduate at the age of 22, so that correlates with Tony's age. So, she's not YEARS younger than Tony, just a little bit younger than Tony, one/two years as the most. This story takes place in 2013, which would make them all a year older, but I am going with their current ages. In my mind, she is 42, soon to be 43.**

Chapter Thirty Eight: "Party Time!"

By the next day, the entire team was talking about Karina walking. Tim put the video up on the plasma so everyone could see it.

Vance even came down to see it. He laughed with the others. "They grow up fast, don't they?" He said wistfully, thinking of his own children Jared and Kayla as they took their first steps.

He turned to Gibbs. "Getting nervous?"

Gibbs looked at him, half-smiling. "Nah, me? Where did you get that idea?"

Unfortunately, the video of a drooling, giggling, staggering baby soon had so be replaced by their latest victim, Marine Gunnery Sergeant Dwight Cochrane, who was electrocuted while putting up Christmas lights on his house.

The team only got the case because it was discovered that the circuit breaker in his house had been tampered with, and therefore the power was still "on" when he thought it was "off".

He was determined to win the neighborhood contest this year for the "Best Decorated House". Unfortunately, as he was cutting and splicing wires, he made the connection and ended up being the only thing lighting up like a Christmas tree.

Tony's assertion that "It's always the wife" did not go unmentioned during the case. In fact at one point, Ziva pointed out to him he still needed to put their lights out on their house.

That effectively ended that monotonous litany, much to Gibbs relief. He was sure he had given Tony a concussion at one point, because the head slap had been unintentionally harder than he meant it to be.

"He's fine, Gibbs." Ziva said as she bent over her husband, who looked dazed and confused. She went over to Gibbs. "You did not really mean to hit him that hard, did you?" Her expression was unreadable.

As a result, Gibbs was overly nice to Tony, which frankly was worse as far as the team was concerned.

"Boss, I'm fine. So quit being nice and go back to being you!" Tony grumbled. He back-pedaled a bit at the look on Gibbs' face and his raised eyebrow.

"I mean; not that you aren't always nice, it's just a different kind of nice."

"Shut up, DiNozzo." Gibbs shook his head at him, smiling slightly. He did really feel bad about the head slap, but he hated tip-toeing around the bullpen worse, so everyone breathed a sigh of relief and things got back to normal.

While interviewing the neighbors, one woman, an attractive buxom brunette, mentioned to Tony and Gibbs that the wife regularly had a male visitor while her husband was out of town, or pulling one of his many three-day weekends at Quantico.

She practically purred as she spoke of how this young man, _much younger_ man, would show up, and delighted in giving a detailed description, including his washboard abs, and huge biceps.

She described his car, and they had her brought in to give a description for facial recognition. The only name she could give was Doug, because she had chatted him up one day and introduced herself, and he said that was his name. Abby couldn't get rid of her fast enough.

"Sounds like she has a thing for this guy." Abby said, disgusted. She turned to Gibbs. "Well, if our Cougar from Wisteria Lane can be believed, it looks like our lover boy is Fabio or a reasonable facsimile of him, according to the way she described him; without the long flowing hair, of'course." Abby had the sudden urge to take a shower to get rid of the lingering odor of _her_.

Gibbs looked at her in confusion. "Wisteria Lane? Fabio?"

Abby looked at Gibbs, shocked. "Wisteria Lane! "Desperate Housewives? Hello, any one at home? And how can you not have heard of Fabio?" She continued to stare at him.

Abby frowned. "What was I thinking? It's you we're talking about." Gibbs just shook his head.

"Good work, Abbs. I'll send DiNozzo and McGee back to the wife to ask her about…Fabio." He gave her a quick kiss and went back upstairs.

Christmas Eve was tomorrow, and the team did not want this case mucking up their plans for the week. Vance told Gibbs that if they didn't solve the case before end of work day Christmas Eve, he would hand it off to another team.

Gibbs didn't like handing off his cases, so he worked the team hard on Tuesday to get this thing solved. The wife admitted to the affair, and gave up his name, Douglas Preston.

He worked at Quantico, so they interrogated him there. It was clear from his background that he had no idea how to rewire a circuit breaker panel, so while he was not responsible for that, he wasn't ruled out as an accessory.

This brought them back to the wife, but she didn't have the skills either. As Tony and Tim were talking with her again, Tim watched the next door neighbor, the "Cougar" as Abby had referred to her, install a new light fixture by her front door.

He nudged Tony, directing his attention to her. They looked at each other. She quickly became aware of their presence, and turned around. Recognizing Tony, she turned on the charm and occasionally bent over a little bit so they could get a better view of her ample attributes.

"Nice light fixture." Tony commented. "You did that yourself?"

She looked insulted. "I may look like a 'Southern Belle', but I am quite handy in many things, including fixing up my house. I redid all the wiring in my entire house." She boasted.

"Did you, now?" Tony asked, acting impressed, thinking she looked nothing like a Southern Belle but more like a viper. "You know, that's interesting, because neither Mrs. Cochrane, nor her boyfriend Doug have the slightest clue how to do anything with electricity."

He stopped the friendly pose. "And yet here you are, able to install a light fixture and rewire your house. Maybe you even know how to rewire a circuit breaker so that it would look like it was off when it was actually still on?"

She stopped her act. "He was too good for her. She didn't have a clue what to do with such a specimen. He needed a real woman!"

Tim closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. He pulled out his cuffs and put them on her. She killed MGS Cochrane expecting his wife to be charged, leaving "Fabio" available for her.

"I think working with all of that electricity fried some of your brain cells." Tony said, as he pushed her head down and put her in the back seat of the Military Police vehicle.

"Well, that was 'enlightening'." Tony said. Tim groaned.

"Tony please; don't try to come up with any more witty adjectives for this case. I'm glad it's over so we can go home."

"You're right, McGee." Tony said as he got behind the wheel. They had called in to Gibbs, and reported that they got their suspect.

Tony drove for a while, Tim sitting quietly looking out the window.

"Uh, Tim, you ok, there? You seem, I don't know, bothered or something."

Tim sighed. "It's Abby. I'm really worried about her."

Tony now looked worried. "Why, what's wrong?"

"I don't know. She hasn't complained about anything other than morning sickness and thinking she is fat. She's happy and Mimi is happy with how things are going."

"So what's the problem?" Tony persisted.

Tim looked embarrassed. "I know being pregnant, her hormones are all over the place but…can I ask you something personal?"

Tony hesitated, but hey, it was Tim. "Well, yeah sure. Can't guarantee how detailed of an answer I'll give you."

"Ziva. When she was pregnant with Karina and now; has she been more…does she act more…?"

"McGee! Spit it out! I can't answer your question if you can't even verbalize it."

"Ok! Abby wants sex…all the time! It's like I can't satisfy her. What, what are you laughing at? This isn't funny, Tony."

"Wait a minute, let me get this straight: your wife wants to have a lot of sex with you, and you have a problem with that?"

Tim had to smile at how absurd that sounded. "Well, when you put it that way, it does sound dumb. But, and don't get me wrong, Abby and I had a great sex life before we got pregnant. But it's almost like she's a sex addict or something. Tony, please stop laughing."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Tim." Tony had to wipe the tears from his eyes. "I get it. You're afraid you can't satisfy her and she might start looking elsewhere?"

Tim looked shocked at that. "No, NO! Abby would never do that. But I want her to be happy, and I just can't…all the time, you know. Maybe you can, but I can't. There I said it."

Tony quit laughing. "I wasn't making fun of you, Tim. Ziva was all over me, and I couldn't keep up with her either, and if you ever repeat that I will crush you."

"It's all part of the pregnancy and in Abby's case, it's multiplied by two." Tony let that sink in. "A word of advice, Tim; enjoy it while you can. Last trimester can be tough and sex too painful. And after the baby, or 'babies', is born, it's a minimum of six weeks before sex."

Tim's eyes bugged out at that. "So, Abby is…normal?"

Tony smiled. "Well, normal is a relative term. She's fine, Tim. Just relax; do what you can to make her happy and don't argue with her about anything."

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home- Christmas Eve**

As planned, everyone gathered at Gibb's and Mimi's home for the Christmas Party. What a change from last year: Ziva had been on strict bed rest and not allowed to see anyone other than Tony and Gibbs.

Now they were all together. They were a noisy, boisterous group. The gates between the two back yards were open so the dogs had more running room.

Karina and Jamie were dazzled by the Christmas lights and pretty balls hanging from the tree. Jamie saw one of the dogs drinking the water out of the tree holder, so he crawled under there to get a taste.

His mother was horrified, and Jimmy was on the "naughty" list for a while as it had been his turn to keep an eye on their son.

Jimmy sheepishly took the ribbing from Tony and Tim. Mimi just waved it off. "There's only sugar in the water, none of the Christmas Tree Preservative stuff, so it's no worse than the dog kissing him."

Still, Breena kept little Jamie glued to her hip for quite a while.

Jackson Gibbs was having a ball with Karina. She took to him like peanut butter and jelly, and soon he had a little companion who was constantly by his side, or talking to him or bringing him things.

Everyone was thrilled with her walking abilities, still occasionally sideways. "Just wait 'til she starts running! _Then _you'll have your hands full." Jackson laughed.

"Now where is that other granddaughter of mine?" He looked around for Lily and spotted her with Sean, in the corner. "Lily, come talk to your 'Grampy', since I have been told that is my new name." He chuckled.

He cocked his head at Gibbs. "Though I heard 'Grumpy' was in the running." Gibbs just smiled at his father.

Lily giggled and went over and sat by her new Grandfather. He had been in the WWII Army Air Corp just like her Grandpa in Florida, and she found that comforting.

Mimi and Gibbs watched them talking. "You know, I was really worried about him a couple of years ago. Looking at him now, with these babies, and Lily? I think he may have gotten his second wind."

Mimi hugged him tightly. "The great-grandkids have kept my dad going." She murmured. "Children are a wonderful gift."

Gibbs kissed Mimi's temple. "Well, you are my gift." He said. He looked back to see his dad looking at him, smiling and nodding.

This was the first team family Christmas with children, so they got together and decided they would start a tradition that the children got to open one gift on Christmas Eve.

Of'course as they get older, they will be more excited about it. Tonight, the adults were more excited. Jamie was still too young to really understand what was going on.

Karina had seen Santa when he came to NCIS and sat on his knee but just liked his beard. And she really hadn't had tons of gifts for _her_ to open yet, so this would be a new experience for her as well.

Abby was actually more excited than everyone. "Come on, come on. Let's pick out a present for Karina and Jamie to open. Hey, Lily counts too." Lily looked up at that.

"You're grouping me in with the babies?" She asked.

"Ah, Lily got sent to the kid's table again." Tim teased her.

"Well, you are a daughter and a granddaughter, so you fit the category." Abby reasoned. "Hey, just look at it that you get to open a gift early."

"Well, I'm all for that!" She laughed. They all looked at the numerous gifts under the tree.

Everyone had their personal gifts under their own trees at home, but all had brought gifts for Karina and Jamie. The rest of the team had done "Secret Santa" at work, but they still brought gifts for Gibbs, Mimi and Lily and snuck them under the tree.

Abby was kneeling by the tree. "Karina? Can you pick out a pretty present for yourself?" She asked the soon to be one-year old.

"I wouldn't do that Abby." Tony warned. "If she picks a gift that is not for her and you try to take it away from her…" He let that threat trail off, indicating it would not be pretty.

"Hmm…I see your point. Ok, I know what to do." Abby rummaged under the tree and brought out several gifts that had Karina's name on it, and then did the same for Jamie.

"Ok, baby girl. Come to Aunt Abby and pick out a present." Abby opened her arms. Karina understood that gestured and immediately grinned and toddled over to Abby and plopped herself down on top of her.

She got this odd look on her face. Before anyone could react, she reached down and pulled up Abby's shirt, revealing her pregnant belly.

Gibbs and the other men, except for Tim, kind of looked away, but Abby giggled. Karina's eyes got huge. She patted Abby's tummy, then rubbed it gently.

"Aunt Abby has babies in there, Karina. They will be your cousins when they come out to play." Karina looked at Abby as she was explaining this strange anomaly.

"Baby" She said. Ziva and Tony smiled and looked at their daughter, then Tony caught site of Abby's much larger belly and turned red.

"Oh, Tony you are such a baby yourself. If I had my way, I wouldn't cover up at all. Pregnancy is beautiful."

"Abby, can we get back to the presents?" Gibbs asked.

"Oh, yeah, right." She adjusted her top and sat Karina on her lap. "Karina, look at the pretty presents." Abby touched the brightly wrapped packages. Karina reached out and touched the presents too.

"Go ahead, baby girl. Pick out a present and you can open it." She put Karina down in front of the gift and let her touch them for a while.

Karina laughed and patted the gifts, clearly not sure what see was supposed to do, but they were pretty. She kept going back to a particularly colorful, shiny gift, so Abby made the executive decision that would be her gift to open.

Abby reached for the box that was slightly longer than a shoebox. "Ok, now we need a gift for Jamie."

Breena smiled. "Just pick one out. He will probably just try to eat it."

Everyone laughed at that. "Ok." Abby said. She picked a smaller gift as it would be easier for him to hold.

Abby handed the gifts to the babies. Karina just laughed and patted the box. Jamie, just as his mother said, tried to eat his.

"Abby, get her started. Maybe she'll get the idea." Tony suggested.

"Good idea, Agent DiNozzo!" Abby said. She took a small corner of the wrapping and ripped it off and said "Whee!"

Karina looked startled then laughed when she said "Whee!" Abby then took her little hand and together, they ripped off another corner. "Whee!" They both said.

Jamie crawled over, with his gift hanging out of his mouth, to see what all the excitement was about.

"Is any one taking a movie of this?" Jackson asked. "Why is everyone making phone calls? This is fun, and important!"

Everyone had their phones out and was videoing the proceedings.

"Dad, they _are_ making movies, with their phones." Gibbs said drily.

"What? Well, I'll be damned!"

Karina and Abby pulled another corner and repeated the process, with Jamie watching intently and clapping with Karina.

Karina grabbed a ragged piece of paper and pulled. A long piece of paper came off. "That's Daddy's girl!" Tony called out.

Karina looked up and saw everyone standing with those little boxes. She knew they only had those out when she was doing something they liked.

This made her laugh and clap. "Kar-li Daddy!" She squealed.

Abby grinned. "It's been awhile since we've heard, Kar-li, hasn't it? Keep going, Kar-li. You're doing great!"

Karina touched another piece of the wrapping and everyone started getting excited, so she knew she was doing what they want her to do.

She quickly ripped the paper again, causing cheers and laughter. She clapped and laughed. She quickly dispatched the rest of the wrapping.

Underneath was a box. She was stumped by this, as there was nothing to rip off.

"I think she might need help with the box, Abby." Ziva said. "And make sure we save the wrapping, we need to thank whoever gave the gift."

"Well, I think it's safe to say it's from someone in this room." Gibbs responded drily.

"Wrong, Gibbs! It could be from Santa!" Abby lectured him.

"Oh, right, I forgot about Santa." Gibbs rolled his eyes. Mimi nudged him. "Next year, you won't." She warned him. He just smiled at her.

Abby grinned and removed the tape that kept the lid attached. "Are you ready?" She asked Karina. Karina whipped her head around, to make sure everyone's attention was still on her.

Abby pulled the top off, revealing tissue paper. Karina knew what to do with this and began ripping it. Inside was a Baby Doll, a little baby boy in a blue long nightgown.

"Oh..." Abby said, taking the baby out of the box. "Oh…" Karina mimicked. Abby gave her the little baby to hold, putting it in her arms.

Karina looked at the little baby and patted it. It kind of reminded her of Jamie. She bent down and kissed it.

"Ahh..." Everyone sighed. Ziva had tears in her eyes, at the tenderness of her daughter. "Ok, who is this from?"

Mimi raised her hand. "Me. I thought if Karina had her own 'baby' before your new one comes, she will be more comfortable. Of'course, this one doesn't cry, although it does take a bottle and wet itself."

Ziva giggled and Tony looked horrified. Breena took Jamie's gift out of his mouth and helped him open it.

He was just as excited as Karina, but didn't know why. His gift was a set of building blocks; that looked suspiciously hand made.

"Guilty." Jackson pronounced. Jimmy and Breena were stunned. "Mr. Gibbs, this is, I am speechless. Thank you so much."

"Well, I didn't make them for you, Jimmy, but you are welcome to play with them if you like." Everyone laughed at that, including Jimmy and Breena. "And it's Jackson, or Jack. You're my family, too."

Ducky examined the blocks carefully. "These are quite exquisite. I knew Jethro got his love of woodworking from you, but I wasn't aware that you still dabbled in the art."

Jackson looked confused. "Art? Dabbled? It's just a piece of wood I cut up and carved on; nothing special."

Breena hugged Jackson Gibbs. "Well, we think it's special. Thank you so much!" She kissed his cheek.

Jackson blushed. "Well…if I knew everyone was going to get all mushy on me about this, I would have made a set of blocks for everyone!"

After the laughter died down, Abby looked up. "Lily?"

Lily looked hesitant. As far as she was concerned, she had already gotten her Christmas gift, or would be getting it in a few days.

She looked up at everyone's expectant faces.

_**Ah, Christmas memories. We always got to open one gift on Christmas Eve at the party and we were always upset if we opened up the gift that was clothes, haha. As the nieces, nephews and grandkids came, they got to open a gift too. Miss it.**_


	39. Chapter 39

Ziva giggled and Tony looked horrified. Breena took Jamie's gift out of his mouth and helped him open it.

_**He was just as excited as Karina, but didn't know why. His gift was a set of building blocks; that looked suspiciously hand made."**_

"_**Guilty." Jackson pronounced. Jimmy and Breena were speechless. "Mr. Gibbs, this is, I am speechless. Thank you so much."**_

"_**Well, I didn't make them for you, Jimmy, but you are welcome to play with them if you like." Everyone laughed at that, including Jimmy and Breena.**_

_**Abby looked up. "Lily?" Lily looked hesitant. As far as she was concerned, she had already gotten her Christmas gift, or would be in a few days.**_

_**She looked up at everyone's expectant faces.**_

Chapter Thirty-Nine: "Karina's First Christmas"

Lily looked at her mom. "If it's ok, I'd like to wait until tomorrow." She looked around at everyone. "That is, if it's ok with everyone."

"Of'course it is, Lily. Don't you let them bully you around. Whatever you want to do is fine with me." Jackson said, as if his word was law.

Lily blushed. "I wasn't feeling bullied, Grampy. I just would rather wait."

"Well, as the man said. Whatever you do is fine with him, and with us." Gibbs smiled.

Lily relaxed. "Good. I'll wait."

The party started to wind down after the excitement of Karina and Jamie opening their presents. Tony and Ziva had driven over, and collected Karina and Bridget.

Tim and Abby came through their joined back yards, so they didn't have too far to go.

Jackson went to bed as soon as everyone left. Lily helped her mom clean up, while Sean was down in the basement as Gibbs put the finishing touches on the doll house he had built for Karina.

He knew she was a little too young for this yet, but the design had been in his head for months, and he had to act on it. Just like the little car he was going to build for baby boy DiNozzo when he joined the world.

Sean watched Gibbs quietly, marveling at his skills. "Do you know how to work with wood, Sean?" Gibbs asked.

Sean looked startled. "I can use a variety of power tools and helped my dad remodel our kitchen, but this…this is art."

Gibbs smiled to himself. "It's a skill, a skill that can be learned. And I guess it could be considered art. I just never thought of it that way.

Sean cleared his throat. "Can you teach me?" Gibbs stopped what he was doing and straightened up to look at Sean.

"It can't be taught in a week or a month; or even six months, Sean. It requires time and commitment, and a willingness to give up some other…less productive types of amusement."

Sean understood that Gibbs was telling him he was not going to waste his time on someone who was not going to stick around; and he also understood he was talking about Lily.

"I'm not going anywhere, Sir. I plan to be in this for the long haul." Sean stood up to his full six feet.

Gibbs cocked his head. "Yeah, well that's easy to say now; you've only been dating for what? Four months. Hardly a ringing endorsement for 'the long haul'. Son, you need to spend your time right now with Lily, working on _that _relationship that you say you are never going to leave."

Gibbs bent back over to his work. "When I'm convinced of that, then…we'll see about showing you the finer skills of woodworking. First things first."

Sean nodded. "Understood. Can I continue to watch?"

Gibbs nodded. "Only until Lily and her mom are done with whatever they are doing, then you go spend time with your girlfriend."

Sean smiled. He liked Gibbs, even though he could be scary. Now Lily's mom? Way scarier.

**Tony and Ziva's Home- Christmas Eve**

Ziva had been worried that it would take hours for Karina to settle down after her exciting evening. But once the excitement wore down, she did too.

She was asleep as they changed her out of her cute little Christmas outfit and put on her pajamas. Tony and Ziva kissed her goodnight, and went back downstairs to make sure their own Christmas was ready to go.

Tony brought up the pony rocking horse he had painstakingly put together. He looked at Ziva. "Tonight, tomorrow and the day after: do you think Karina will pitch a fit when there are no presents to open on the 27th?"

Ziva looked up at him from her seat on the sofa, her feet elevated. "I hope not. That is the problem with birthdays around the holidays." She yawned.

Tony put the pony down and went and sat down next to Ziva and put his arm around her. "How you are feeling?"

Ziva smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. "A little tired, but happy. It was a wonderful evening. Oh…" She placed Tony's hand on her belly.

"Hey, there goes the little guy!" Tony grinned. "Wow, we may have an NFL punter in there!" Ziva rolled her eyes.

"We have not discussed any names yet." Ziva said. "I am assuming you are still against Anthony DiNozzo, III?"

Tony shuddered. "Absolutely! Never, never, never. And don't listen to any whining my dad may do to get us to change our minds."

Ziva chuckled. "Well, we had decided on Daniel if Karina had been a boy, but to me, that was for Karina."

Tony considered that. "So you're saying we are starting from scratch again?"

Ziva nodded. "I think, yes. With three names already off the list."

Tony looked confused. "Anthony, Daniel…what's the third?"

"David." She said simply.

Tony smiled in remembrance. "Ah, yes. The worry about 'Daveed DiNozzo'. I still think we can consider it for a middle name."

Ziva thought about it. "Perhaps, if we do not come up with two other names we like better."

"Well, then I guess we better break out the baby names book again. Poor Abby and Tim, they have to come up with two names, well I guess four, if they give them middle names. Tim doesn't have one."

"Hmm…" Ziva murmured. Tony chuckled.

"Come on, little mommy. It's time for you to go to bed, big week ahead." Ziva didn't protest, and let Tony pull her up from the sofa. He gave her deep kiss. "You are so beautiful." He murmured.

Ziva smiled at her husband. "And you are tantalizingly handsome."

"Oooh…looks who's using big English words. 'Tantalizingly.' I think that pretty much sums me up." He kissed his wife again.

"But as 'tantalizing' as I am, you are dead on your feet and going to bed. Come on, up the stairs, I'll tuck you in. I can finish up down here."

He walked Ziva to their bedroom, stopping to take a quick look at Karina. "I will take a shower. Maybe you will be done by the time I have finished." Ziva said.

Tony chuckled, remembering his conversation earlier with Tim. "I'll be as quick as I can." He headed back downstairs, knowing full well that she would be fast asleep by the time he got back upstairs.

**Tony and Ziva's Home- Christmas Morning**

Tony opened one eye. He wasn't sure what had woken him up. He looked at Ziva, happily snoring. Much to his surprise, she had been waiting for him when he was finally done, so he didn't get as much sleep as he thought he would.

He tried to will himself back to sleep, but kept hearing this, _sound_.

He held still and listened, then smiled. Karina was "singing". It was no known song, at least none Tony had ever heard of. It was a made up song of words and tones that made no sense, although he did hear some "La-la-la's, so he wondered if she was trying to sing "Deck the Halls." It was funny and confusing, but was still pleasing.

He shook his head and grinned. She had definitely inherited her mother's talent. He thought of piano lessons, and him teaching her and their son how to play the guitar, and dance lessons.

He looked again at Ziva. He wanted her to listen to their daughter singing her made up song, but she really needed her sleep. He decided to get up and make some coffee.

By his second cup, he could hear Ziva moving around upstairs and talking to Karina. He climbed the stairs to join his two loves.

"Good morning." Tony said softly, putting his arm around Ziva. He kissed her sweetly. "And Merry Christmas."

Ziva smiled. "Merry Christmas to you as well, Tony. And to you, Karina! Your first Christmas! What a day you will have."

Karina just grinned at her parents. Ziva had already dressed her in a red jumper with a mock turtle neck long-sleeve shirt with cartoon reindeer on them.

Tony gave a cup of coffee to Ziva and then picked up his daughter. "Breakfast first; then presents." He said.

Karina didn't care. She was with her mommy and daddy. She was still singing her "La-La's" as Tony carried her down the stairs and put her in her highchair.

Ziva cocked an eyebrow and looked at Tony, grinning. "I think she is trying to sing some of the songs we sang last night." She chuckled.

"Well, after we eat and get settled, maybe we can have a reprise of "Deck the Halls" before the pandemonium begins." Tony suggested.

**Gibbs' and Mimi's Home**

Gibbs was up at 5 a.m., as usual. He kept quiet so Mimi and Lily could sleep in. He should have known that wouldn't have worked too long.

As soon as the coffee started brewing, Mimi was heading down the stairs.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you so early." Gibbs kissed her good morning. Mimi gave him a hug. "You know me and coffee. I'm almost as bad as you." Gibbs chuckled.

"Lily still asleep?" Gibbs took his cup to the table and sat down.

"Snoring as we speak." Mimi chuckled. Gibbs had to chuckle at that as well.

"Don't get me wrong, I really like Sean." Mimi began. "But I felt like we evicted him from the house last night."

Gibbs smiled in remembrance. It wasn't until Gibbs pointedly told him that they were all going to bed now and maybe he should head home did he get the hint to leave.

He and Lily had sat on the sofa by the tree, holding hands, deep in conversation. He was glad that they could sit for hours and talk.

It was a skill he never mastered, but then he had women (well, two) in his life who understood that silence and an expression could speak volumes.

The two women were of'course, Shannon and Mimi. His ex-wives constantly badgered him about his inability to communicate.

What they didn't understand was that he _was_ communicating, just not the way they wanted him to and expected him to change to accommodate them.

Thus, three divorces later, Gibbs was thrilled that Mimi accepted him for the person he is, the person he had been, and thus far had made no indication that he should make any changes.

Any changes he had made had been by mutual decision, although he had recognized the reality that Mimi and Lily were the ones who had made the major changes in their lives to accommodate him.

Thus the new security system, keeping more in touch with both sides of the family and being more open about meeting her friends and co-workers.

And in seven days, they would be married. Gibbs' fifth and last. Mimi's second, and as far as he was concerned, her last as well.

Given that the team was all "family", keeping work and home separate got thrown out the window long ago. He wasn't the private person that Leon Vance was.

He and Jackie had attended several of their get-togethers, but there were no big team parties at the Vance household. Vance had to draw a line somewhere, and Gibbs appreciated that.

"Merry Christmas!" Lily had finally made it to the land of the living and joined them downstairs. "Yummy! Pancakes!"

Mimi had always made pancakes for breakfast on Christmas morning, a family tradition handed down probably since pancakes were invented.

Gibbs liked pancakes, and hold told Mimi how his mother always made them for him. Sure enough, there was chocolate syrup on the table, along with maple and butter pecan, which was Lily's favorite.

"I'm a purist." Mimi had said, meaning only maple syrup for her.

Jackson finally made it downstairs and they ate breakfast and laughed about last night. "When did that young man of yours leave last night, Lily? I thought he was moving in." Jackson asked, joking.

Lily blushed. "Sorry, we lost track of the time. He didn't mean to stay as late as he did."

"Sure he didn't." Gibbs said under his breath.

"Well, when do we open presents?" Jackson clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

Gibbs looked at his father surprised. "You've never been a big Christmas morning person, Dad. What's up?"

"What's up? I've got a new daughter and granddaughter to share it with. Not that you weren't enough, Jethro." Jackson added, belatedly.

"Oh, gee thanks, Dad." Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"Let me just brew a new pot of coffee, then we can get started." Mimi said.

**Tim and Abby's Home**

Tim had expected Abby to sleep in, she was starting to fatigue easily; but she was already up and dressed by the time he wandered downstairs.

"Merry Christmas, Timmy!" She gave her husband a huge hug and kiss.

Tim smiled and kissed his wife back. "Merry Christmas to you, too. Why are you up so early?"

Abby looked at the clock in surprise. "It's seven a.m. That's not early."

Tim chuckled. He followed her into the kitchen. "Eggs, bacon and toast. You didn't have to do all this by yourself, I could have helped." Tim complained.

Abby smiled. "I wanted to. Let's eat breakfast, then it's CHRISTMAS!"

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

Tony sat at the piano and played "Deck the Halls" while him and Ziva sang the Carol. Karina sang the "Fa-la-la-la-la's" with them, keeping in pretty good tune.

When they were done, they all clapped. They then sat Karina down in front of the tree, dozens of presents underneath.

Karina remembered the pretty packages from last night and immediately grabbed one. "Better check to make sure that's hers." Tony said.

Ziva took a quick look. "It is. I will bring out her gifts so she doesn't get one of yours."

Tony chuckled. "I'm not worried about mine; I don't want her opening yours."

Ziva looked at her husband and smiled. Tony had a hard time buying gifts for Ziva. He had all of his mother's jewelry, which in his mind was already by default hers.

Ziva was not a big jewelry wearing, so she already had enough jewelry to last a lifetime. So he pretty much decided to limit jewelry to the births of their children, and when the mood hit him.

They had decided to not go overboard on gifts for each other. They now had a home to maintain and 1.3 children and a dog.

They also had a lot of money, but that was being put aside for college and retirement, and vacations; not pretty baubles.

Oh, they still definitely treated each other on occasion. But it was few and far between. And now with a second baby on the way, just taking off was going to take advanced planning and child delegation, unless the kids came with them.

Which was why Tony was excited about his gift for Ziva. It was really a family gift, but he hoped she like it as much as he hoped she would.

After Karina had ripped her way through a variety of toys and clothes, Tony handed her the flat box.

"For me?" She asked, smiling.

"This one's for all of us." Tony said, smiling.

Looking at Tony with that "what are you up to? expression, Ziva opened the box. She pulled out two first class roundtrip tickets to London, no expiration date.

She gasped as smiled. "Tony…" she began. Tony grinned.

"I was thinking in the fall. We can go check out my family residence outside of London, we can take the kids, and it will be great."

Ziva looked at him. "Take the kids."

Tony smiled and shrugged. "We can't keep pawning them off on everyone. Besides, Tim and Abby will have the twins. And who knows what Mimi and Gibbs will be up to."

Ziva shook her head. Tony looked sad. "You think I'm nuts, don't you."

Ziva chuckled. "Definitely, but in a nice way. I love the idea. Thank you. I can't wait to start planning." Tony relaxed. For a moment, he thought he had made a major error in judgment.

Karina had gotten her own baby grand piano and between that and the rocking horse pony, she was kept well occupied.

"This is for you." Ziva handed Tony a box that was slightly heavy.

"Geesh, what's in here, cement?" Tony joked. Ziva smiled softly and shook her head.

Tony looked at her closely, seeing her expression. Whatever this was, it was special. He carefully took the wrapping off and opened up the box.

He looked down at the contents, and then back up at Ziva, his mouth opened in stunned surprise.

Tony had mentioned to Ziva how disappointed he had been that all of the sheet music his mother had played when he was a child had disappeared.

He had tried to find the sheet music himself by surfing the internet, but had been unsuccessful. He had written it off as a lost cause.

He stared at the reams of sheet music. All of the songs he had mentioned to Ziva, the music his mother had played. The music he thought was lost.

"How…?" That was all Tony could get out.

Ziva put her arms around Tony's shoulders and kissed his cheek. "My old music teacher in Tel Aviv. He never throws anything out. If there is anything missing or something else you want, I have no doubt he will have it or could get it."

Tony felt the tears prick his eyes. "Thank you, Ziva. This is….it's amazing. You're amazing."

Ziva chuckled. "That is why you married me, is it not? I am pleased I surprised you and you are happy."

Tony showed her how happy he was the best way he knew how considering their 364 day year old daughter was inches from them.

She saw them kissing and started crawling toward them. She pulled herself up and joined their kiss. "Three-way kiss!" Tony said, as Karina giggled.

Tim had talked to them regarding Karina and when to start her on the road to technology. They were realistic about it and Tony quipped that she would probably be required to have an iPad in nursery school.

So Tim and Abby got her "My First Computer" and a play cell phone that she could push the buttons on and "call" her friends.

Bridget was walking around with her new "baby" in her mouth: a red fox that already had the stuffing removed, so it was basically a "skinned" fox. She got a box of "Frosty Paws" but she wouldn't know that until she got her treat for the evening.

She also got a new matching leash and collar, and a blue and green plaid "coat" that was essentially a small blanket that could be belted to her.

Ziva had tried to put little booties on her at "Petsmart", but she kept pulling them off and acted afraid to walk with them on her feet, so those got left off the list.

Tony and Ziva surveyed their torn paper strewn family room and declared Karina's first Christmas a resounding success.

**Gibbs and Mimi's House**

Lily was getting use to her new iPhone, while Mimi was modeling her newest cashmere coat. Gibbs had also given Mimi beautiful garnet and diamond earrings as her birthday was in January.

The matching bracelet would be her birthday present. Mimi had gotten Gibbs a new set of special detailing chisels, plus a new watch, since his old one had finally died.

Lily had gotten a set of pearl earrings from Sean, the night before. She had opened the gift privately with him, to avoid prying eyes.

Mimi thought it was a little too soon for such a "relationship" gift. She was thinking more on the lines of the newest DVD she wanted.

But Lily was thrilled. Sean had been a fan of the new "Battlestar Galactica" series, so she had gotten him the complete boxed DVD set, with all the extras.

Everyone else had gotten a variety of gifts from the team. Lily got some iTunes cards, and a cute, funky jacket from Abby and Tim, and some perfume from Tony and Ziva.

Mimi and Gibbs got plane tickets to New York from Tony and Ziva, which stunned them, since they were already loaning them their Manhattan apartment for their honeymoon.

Tim and Abby had gotten them prime seats at the latest Broadway hit, which was the revival of the musical "West Side Story" for January 2nd. It was one of Mimi's favorite movies and "Somewhere" was her favorite song.

Ducky had reserved them dinner at the Lion Restaurant in Manhattan following the show. It is known for its fine cuisine and the occasional celebrity.

Breena and Jimmy reserved them a horse and carriage ride on January 3rd, their last day in New York.

Gibbs shook his head. "I told them not to go to any fuss."

Mimi hugged her soon-to-be husband. "This is why they don't listen to you, except when it is on the job. They better not give us wedding gifts on top of this." She shook her head.

Bailey was quite pleased with his many gifts. He got a new basketball since he finally popped his old one. And he got several healthy chews and treats.

Just then, Gibbs' phone rang. He looked at the readout. It said "Karina". He laughed and showed it to Mimi. "Apparently Karina got a cell phone for Christmas."

_**Still reeling from "Shabbat Shalom" even though I guessed from the spoilers that both Eli and Jackie would die. Fabulous acting all around. Wish I could write something like…wait, then I would be an NCIS writer and not a middle aged woman living in DC. Reality has a way of crashing down, and Mimi and I have our birthday coming up on the 14**__**th**__**. Another year, still no Emmy. Oh well, thanks for your support and wonderful reviews.**_


	40. Chapter 40

_**Gibbs shook his head. "I told them not to go to any fuss."**_

_**Mimi hugged her soon-to-be husband. "This is why they don't listen to you, except when it is on the job. They better not give us wedding gifts on top of this." She shook her head.**_

_**Just then, Gibbs' phone rang. He looked at the readout. It said "Karina". He laughed and showed it to Mimi. "Apparently Karina got a cell phone for Christmas."**_

Chapter Forty: "More Celebrations"

"What?" Mimi and Lily both said. Mimi looked at his phone. "Oh, those two…put it on speaker, Jethro please."

"Merry Christmas!" Gibbs answered. What they heard was the piano playing in the background and Ziva and Karina singing "Deck the Halls." Well, Karina was singing the La-la's.

Gibbs looked at Mimi and Lily, a big grin on his face. For a baby, she did a pretty good job, he had to admit. Gibbs could carry a tune, but would never get up and sing in front of anyone now.

He had in his younger days, in fact he once wrote a song for Shannon, about a man and his saddle of all things. He used to play his guitar for Shannon and Kelly, but once they were killed, he put it away.

He had picked it up for the first time on Halloween, when he and Mimi were Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.

They all clapped when the song was done. Tony got on the line. "Merry Christmas Gibbs and Gibbs's to be. Was Santa good to you?"

"I don't know about Santa, but some certain members of my team were way too generous." Gibbs growled good-naturedly.

"You're welcome." Ziva chimed in.

"Thank you for the leather jacket. I've wanted one for a while."

"Well, yeah I got that DiNozzo, since you've been talking non-stop about it for the past two months."

"And thank you for the bracelet with the charms. I have not seen these before. It is a wonderful idea."

Mimi had picked out a _"Chamilia"_ bracelet for Ziva, which was similar to the _"Pandora"_ type bracelets.

They started her off with a little girl charm, a 14kt gold heart, a Star of David and a Cross.

"We also got Abby one. I have one, well several. It's great for adding charms for special moments or milestones. Lily got her first last year."

Mimi chuckled. "I will warn you: they are addicting. You end up wanting so many of the charms that you end up with multiple bracelets."

"Well, I absolutely love it, and cannot wait to add more charms." Ziva smiled. "Here, Karina wants to say hi."

Tony put the phone near her. "Talk to Grandpa and Grandma." Karina grabbed the phone and kissed it. "She kissed the phone." Tony laughed.

"Tony, we have another gift for Karina, but I have to bring it over in the truck." Gibbs said. Tony and Ziva looked at each other.

"Oh, Gibbs. Please tell me you did not get her a pony. Tony wanted to get her one and I said we could not keep a pony in the back yard. Why are you laughing?"

"A pony? You thought we would actually get Karina a pony? Without discussing it with you?" Mimi had tears running down her cheeks she was laughing so hard.

"I wanted a pony when I was a kid, and I lived in an apartment in Manhattan." Tony commented.

"Let me guess: you didn't get one." Gibbs deadpanned. "Anyway, let us know a good time to bring it over."

"Whenever you feel like it. We're all decent here. Have you heard from McGee yet?" Tony asked.

Gibbs shook his head. "I was going to call when we were through here."

"Ok, well we'll see you in a bit." Gibbs ended the call. Mimi and Lily were still laughing so hard they started snorting.

"Daddy, you could just ride it over, why put it in the truck?" Lily was holding her stomach, her sides ached so much.

"What's all this ruckus about?" Jackson asked.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs answered, as if that explained everything. Jackson grunted, so apparently that satisfied his curiosity.

**Tim and Abby's Home**

By mutual agreement, they had decided their own Christmas would be quite understated. After all, they had just bought a house and were now expecting twins.

They mostly bought things for the babies. Abby got some cool maternity tops that weren't matronly and fit her fashion sensibilities.

Tim got several reams of his special typewriter paper, a thin, almost onion skin type paper. It was of another era, and fueled his creativity and he wouldn't write using any other type of paper.

He also got a new chair for his writing desk. In keeping with the atmosphere in which he liked to write, Abby and Ziva had gone to several antique outlets and found one of those old chairs with the single pole under the seat and then the four "legs" that spread out like a spider.

It was on wheels, had a velvet cushioned seat and was just perfect. Tim loved it.

Abby also got the "Chamilia" bracelet, which she absolutely loved. Hers also had the 14kt gold heart, a bat and a microscope.

Jethro got a big bone, and a new bed, since his was so threadbare it had to be tossed.

All in all, everyone was pleased. Tim had offered to help Gibbs with the dollhouse, since one person couldn't carry it by themselves.

He checked the gate in the backyard and saw their side was unlocked already, so he unlocked his side and let Jethro out.

"Go find Bailey." Tim told him.

Jethro gave him his big doggy smile and took off. He went to the deck and sat in front of the French doors, and gave a small "woof".

Gibbs looked up. "Jethro's here, Bailey." Bailey immediately ran to the door and Gibbs let him out.

"Guess the "McGee household is awake and alert." He said to Mimi. He nodded as he saw Tim come trudging over.

"Merry Christmas, everyone! Did you have a good morning?" Tim asked. He turned down the cup of coffee Mimi offered him.

"It was great!" Lily said. "How about yours?"

"It was great!" He mimicked. "Thanks for the back-up generator. With all of my computer stuff, I can't afford to have anything go down."

"Not to mention the heating, refrigerator, stove, hot-water heater…" Gibbs added, thinking these items far more important.

Tim smiled at Gibbs. "And Abby absolutely loves her bracelet. She can't wait to add the baby charms once the twins get here."

Tim scratched Bailey's ears. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm available whenever you are to take over Karina's doll house."

"Thanks, McGee. Give me about a half an hour, then come back and we'll get it in the truck." Gibbs replied.

"Sounds like a plan." McGee smiled. "See you later." He turned and headed back to his house.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

"Tony!" Ziva called out. "Gibbs is here…and Tim is with him?" She looked surprised at that and went to open their front door.

"Morning! Merry Christmas, Tim! I was not expecting you to be with Gibbs." Ziva answered back.

"Yeah, well, we may need Tony as well. Where is he?"

"I'm right here. What in the hell…?" Tony looked back and forth between Gibbs and Tim.

Gibbs looked at Tony with exasperation. "You gonna' help up or not?"

"Oh!" Tony rushed down his steps and joined them at the truck. When he looked in the back, he caught his breath.

He looked at Gibbs. "Boss…"

Gibbs cocked his head, trying to hide his smile. "Yeah, I know. It's heavy. Be careful."

Gently, carefully, the three slid the wooden platform the dollhouse was on to the edge of the truck bed, and then hoisted it.

Ziva's eyes bugged out when she saw what they were carrying. "Will you be able to get this upstairs to her room?"

"Even if it kills Tony." Tim answered, grimacing slightly.

"Hey! You're having a daughter. Don't ask me to haul one upstairs for you!" Tony shot back.

"I was just kidding, Tony. Relax; we'll get it up there." Tim said good-naturedly.

It was a struggle, but the three managed to get it up the stairs, with Ziva ahead of them directing their steps. They got it into Karina's room and set it on the floor.

Ziva got down on her hands and knees with Karina, and explored the Doll house. "This is just amazing, Gibbs. I think it is too good for Karina to play with."

Gibbs shrugged. "Yeah, she is a little young, but once the hands pick up the tools, it's out of my control. We can put it up higher on a table or something so she can't break anything until she understands how to take care of her toys."

"Well, if she's anything like me, she never will." Tony said. "I broke every toy I ever owned."

Tim smirked. "Now, why does _that _not surprise me, Tony?"

"Ok, that's enough. I need some help up." Ziva grimaced. She hated being dependent on others, but being six months pregnant did not make getting up off of the floor the easy fluid motion it used to be.

Tony and Gibbs each lent her a hand, and helped her to her feet. "Thank you." She replied, straightening her top.

She looked at Tim. "Did you and Abby have a nice Christmas?"

Tim nodded, smiling. "The best."

"Aw, it gets better every year, McGee." Gibbs smiled.

Tony and Ziva gave them a quick tour of Karina's haul. Tim loved the baby grand piano and Gibbs really liked the pony. "Was this your compromise?" He asked, looking at Ziva.

She just rolled her eyes. "I was not kidding, Gibbs. Tony was seriously considering buying her a pony and putting it in the backyard."

Gibbs gave Tony a head slap. "Thanks, Boss. Merry Christmas."

Gibbs and Tim headed back to their homes. "Feel free to drop by later, we're open all day." Gibbs said.

"Same here. We have Kyle and some other friends coming over during the day. Very casual. Lots of grazing." Tim added.

"My kind of get-together." Tony said, smiling.

Soon after they left, they got a call from Ziva's father. They put Karina on the speaker phone with him and she babbled away, with Eli making appropriate comments and laughing at her.

"She sounds like she is a happy child, Ziva." Eli commented.

Ziva and Tony beamed. "She is Abba. By the way, once Karina is able to pronounce it, you will be her 'Grandpapa'. I thought you would like that.

They thought they heard a sniff and Eli's voice was hoarse as he responded. "I am most definitely her Grandpapa. I wish I could be there tomorrow for her first birthday, but you know how things are…" He let that trail off.

"I have sent a package; hopefully it will arrive by tomorrow. I will call again to speak to my granddaughter. And now, my Ziva, how are you feeling?"

"I am well, Abba. Tony is taking very good care of all of us." She replied, subtly reminding him she had a husband.

"Ah, yes, Anthony. You must be very pleased to know you will soon have a son." Eli sounded sincere.

Tony beamed. "We are both pleased, although we would have been happy with another girl. But yes, I am excited to have a son."

"Teach them well, Anthony. They are treasures that should never be taken for granted."

"I will, Sir." Tony said, wondering how this man could offer such advice that he himself had failed at so miserably.

Beyond the excitement of Christmas morning, they kept the rest of the day fairly low-key. They did drop by Gibbs' and McGee's for short visits to say "hi' but pretty much took it easy.

Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. also called, apologizing for not being able to come for Christmas this year. "But I will be there tomorrow. I wouldn't miss my granddaughter's first birthday for the world!"

This surprised Tony and Ziva, as they were not expecting him to come, but they were pleased he was able to make the trip. He and Tony coordinated picking him up at the airport.

**Karina's First Birthday **

December 26th dawned cold but sunny. The party was planned for 2pm. Mimi wanted to make the cake, so she came over around 11am to bake it in their kitchen, so they wouldn't have to transport it.

This day was also Mimi's parent's 70th anniversary, an amazing milestone made all the more sad because her mother couldn't remember it.

Her family was going to have a cake and take it to her mom at the rehab center. They would call later while they were there.

Today was also the birthday of Tony's mother. He never really made a big deal about it. But with the birth of his first daughter sharing the same birthdate, it was impossible to ignore.

Ziva set an extra place her at their breakfast table, telling Tony she would have been here if she could. Tony was momentarily taken aback, and had to get his emotions under control before he could speak.

Ziva looked distressed. "Should I have not done this? I should have asked you first, I am sorry Tony. You are upset."

Tony shook his head and kissed her. "No. You are amazing. Thank you for even thinking of this."

The house was crowded. Karina was dressed in a pretty red dress with a poufy skirt that she loved to play with.

Once again, there were all sorts of shiny boxes and she was terribly excited. Tony and Ziva looked a little worried that she might implode or something.

Her walking skills were still developing, but she toddled as often as she could, to anyone who held their arms out.

Mimi brought out the huge Birthday Cake, a seven layer monstrosity that Ziva marveled at. It had pink icing and "Happy 1st Birthday Karina" on it. At the top was a single white candle.

Ziva and Tony sat next to each other at the table, with Karina sort of sitting on both of their laps. Karina was dazzled by the lit candle and big cake and tried to grab at it.

"Not yet, sweetie." Ziva grabbed her daughter's hand.

"Ok, everybody ready?" Abby asked. "One, two, three…Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, dear Karina…Happy Birthday to you!"

Everyone sang and clapped when they were done. Karina squealed and clapped, knowing this was about her.

"Ok, baby girl. Blow out the candle!" Karina just laughed.

Tony lifted her up so she was closer to the candle. "Karina? Watch Daddy. 'Wooo'." Tony imitated blowing a puff of air.

Karina raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Come on sweetie, let's blow out the candle." Karina just kissed Tony's face.

Ziva laughed. "I think you may need to do it for her, Tony."

"Ok." He said. He pointed at the candle, directing Karina's gaze toward it. "Here we go!" He took a breath and blew out the candle.

The look of surprise on Karina's face was so comical everyone was clicking their cameras so fast to catch the image. She looked confused, but not upset.

Everyone clapped again, so that made her happy. Tony put Karina in her highchair and Ziva put a large bib on her so her birthday dress would not get covered in cake and icing.

Ziva let Mimi cut the cake since her back was bothering her and Tony led her to her favorite chair and put her feet up.

After Christmas, you would think it would be hard to find gifts, but everyone managed, although Karina got a lot more clothes than she did the day before.

Everyone oohed and aahed and she mimicked them as each new gift was revealed. She was growing out of her clothes quicker than she could wear them out, so Tony and Ziva were grateful for the outfits.

Karina would not be so grateful when she was older, but she didn't care right now. She was happy all "her people" were at her home and they were there just to see her.

She played her piano for them, again to much applause. She didn't want Jamie to ride her pony, telling him "no!" when he crawled toward it.

Jamie started to cry and then Karina started to cry. Both mothers held their babies until the tears dried and the hiccups subsided. Then all was well again.

Karina sat in Jackson lap for a long time, showing him her phone. He had no idea how a real cell phone worked, but he showed great interest and talked to her about it.

Tony sat on the sofa with Ziva, watching them interact. He whispered something in Ziva's ear, making her smile. She looked at him and nodded.

As promised, Anthony, Sr. arrived and was totally charmed by his little granddaughter. He got her a big stuffed Panda Bear, which was bigger than she was. He also slipped Ziva and Tony a savings bond, for the future.

Eli's gift had arrived later in the day, by UPS. Once again, it was jewelry. This time is was a 14kt gold necklace, with the Star of David hanging from the bevel.

Ziva had tears in her eyes. "I received my first necklace on my first birthday as well. I did not know if he would remember." She placed the dainty necklace around her daughter's neck.

Tony and Ziva had not discussed what religion their children would be brought up in. Although any child born of a Jewish mother was considered to be Jewish, they decided it would be best to expose them to both of their faiths, and when they were old enough; they could decide which path to choose.

Everyone was plopped on a sofa in any room there was a sofa. Wrapping paper was strewn everywhere. Mimi was cutting up pieces of cake for everyone to take home with them, since Ziva had already told her she did not want a lot of leftover cake.

Tim had taken Abby home, as she had gotten really fatigued. "Is Abby ok?" Gibbs asked Mimi, worried.

"She is carrying two babies, not one. So everything is amplified. She has an appointment when we get back from New York, but I'll check on her daily to make sure it's not something else going on."

Gibbs wasn't entirely reassured, but he trusted Mimi and knew she would tell him if something was really wrong. Tim didn't seem worried, but that could be because he didn't know any better.

He shook it off. He finally had the Birthday Girl to himself. Tony was playing the piano, and Gibbs was "dancing" with her, moving slowly to the music.

She laid her head on his shoulder and knew she fell asleep but continued to dance with her. He grabbed Mimi, and pulled her in as well, so the three of them were swaying to the soft music.

Ziva took a few pictures of the trio, hoping one would be good enough to frame.

It was a perfect day, a special day that Ziva and Tony would always remember and cherish. Their little baby girl was now one years old, and walking. Soon, she would be running and talking in sentences and…

Tony's head was hurting, thinking how much was changing. But he had to admit he was happier than he had ever been in his entire life. He looked at Ziva, who was sitting with Gibbs on the sofa, talking softly.

Mimi and Lily were sitting together, mother and daughter, holding hands and discussing who knows what; probably Sean.

Jackson had fallen asleep in his chair and had "Bobo" in his lap.

Sr. was on the floor with Karina, after she had woken up, as she was showing him one of her new toys. He would have to leave the next day, so he was taking advantage of every moment he had. He even approved the moniker "Granddad".

"_Life just can't get any better than this."_ Tony thought to himself.

_**This story was always AU, but in light of "Shabbat Shalom", it is really not canon. I will keep Eli and Jackie in the story, as the story requires. Thanks for the great support. This chapter is quite a bit longer, but I wanted to get this all in. I am on pins and needles for tonight's episode "Shiva". Next- wedding!**_


	41. Chapter 41

_**Tony's head was hurting, thinking how much was changing. But he had to admit he was happier than he had ever been in his entire life. He looked at Ziva, who was sitting with Gibbs on the sofa, talking softly.**_

_**Mimi and Lily were sitting together, mother and daughter, holding hands and discussing who knows what; probably Sean.**_

_**Jackson had fallen asleep in his chair and had "Bobo" in his lap.**_

_**Sr. was on the floor with Karina, after she had woken up, as she was showing him one of her new toys. He would have to leave the next day, so he was taking advantage of every moment he had. He even approved the moniker "Granddad".**_

"_**Life just can't get any better than this." Tony thought to himself.**_

Chapter Forty-One: "Even _More _Celebrations"

**December 31, 2013- Wedding Day**

Mimi and Lily had gone over to Tony and Ziva's home early to set out the flowers. Tony, Gibbs and McGee had moved the furniture around the previous night so that the living room was almost empty.

Abby was able to borrow some folding chairs from her church for the guests to sit on, although there really wouldn't be a huge crowd.

Mimi's sisters, Sophie and Mandy had arrived on the 30th and were already ensconced at the McGee home. Lily had brought her stuff over to Tony and Ziva's that morning when she came with her mom.

The only other person left to move would be Jackson. He didn't see why he couldn't just stay in Jethro's house like he always had, but Gibbs made him see reason. The fact that Bailey was also going was a big factor in changing his mind.

He loved that dog, and Bailey knew a good thing when he saw it. He had slept with Jackson the entire time he was visiting, much to his delight.

"Used to have an old Golden Retriever, named him Rex." Jackson told Mimi. "Best dog for duck hunting there ever was. Loved riding in the truck, with his head hanging out the window…damn I miss that dog."

Mimi gave him a hug. "I can imagine. I don't know what I'd do without Bailey, but then I thought I would die when I lost Alex. I miss him terribly, but it helps to have another dog."

"Awww…I'm too damn straight in my ways to get another dog. I'll just adopt everyone else's while I'm visiting." Jackson gave her a pat on the shoulder.

Gibbs and Mimi wanted their wedding to be simple. Very few guests outside of the team and family were invited. Gibbs did invite Fornell, and he said he would be there with bells on.

Mimi invited her boss, Susan Everett, and they also included Sean and his parents. If they were appalled that their son's girlfriend's parents weren't already married, they didn't show it.

Sean had given them some background, but he didn't know the whole story. Lily just shared how they met, and that Gibbs' first wife and daughter were deceased and left it at that.

By noon, all of the guests had arrived. It was too cold to have the wedding outside so once they were married things would have to be moved around to accommodate the reception.

It was going to be very informal: food upstairs; drinks downstairs. The wedding cake was done by a local bakery and was large enough, but not too large.

It had fondant and was draped in an effect that was like soft pleats. Pink, lavender and white fondant scrolls completed the decoration.

On top of the cake was a small bouquet of fresh flowers, with Orange Blossoms, the state flower of Florida; and a sprig of Myrtle for good luck.

The civil ceremony was presided over by a mutual friend of Tim and Abby's, a lovely young woman who spoke from the heart, even if it was to be a standard wedding ceremony.

When it was nearing time to begin, Ziva began playing soft music on the piano, an interlude while everyone took their seats. Tony sat Karina with him near Ziva and the piano.

Abby and Tim also sat near the back, in case Abby had to excuse herself quickly as the twins had been pressing far too frequently on her bladder lately.

Gibbs and Jackson, his Best Man, took their place near the officiant. Gibbs wore a dark blue, well-fitted suit with a crisp white shirt and silver-grey tie. As soon as she saw Lily coming down the stairs, Ziva began playing Bach's "Air" from the third orchestral suite.

She was wearing a light lavender short dress, strapless with a poufy skirt. She had her hair up in a French twist with small blossoms. Sean sucked in his breath when he saw her. She carried a single lavender rose with some greenery and baby's breath.

Gibbs did the same, and felt tears prick his eyes. This beautiful young lady was _his_ daughter and he was never more proud and grateful than at that moment.

Finally, Mimi came down the stairs, her two sisters waiting at the bottom to escort her to the love of her life. She had her big Princess Diana wedding gown before; but she also didn't want to look like the Mother-of-the-Bride.

She wore an ivory, beaded silk dupioni sheath, with a slight, gentle ruching at the hips, that fell to the floor was a small extra length in the back that _could_ be called a train, but was probably called something else.

The gown was off the shoulder, with ruched sleeved that ended at her elbow. Like Lily, her hair was up in a French twist, with flowers. She carried a small bouquet of Orange Blossoms, pink rosebuds, and sprigs of myrtle.

Around her neck was a thin gold necklace from which hung a one carat diamond pendant. It had belonged to her mother Georgie. Once she got the diagnosis of Alzheimer's, Georgie distributed her jewelry to her children, so they would get the pieces she had intended for them.

Adorning the necklace were diamond drop earrings, her wedding gift from Gibbs. She got upset with him, because she reminded him that their wedding bands were supposed to be each other's gift to one another.

Gibbs just smiled and shrugged. Mimi of'course loved them, and quickly got over her distress that she had not gotten him something else as well.

As she reached the landing, her sisters linked arms and walked her toward Gibbs. Abby was crying and Ziva was trying hard not to cry as she was still playing the piano.

Tony felt his eyes tear up and looked down, not wanting Gibbs to see, but then he saw the brightness in _his _eyes. If the Boss could cry, then so could he.

Lily was smiling wide, tears streaming down her face. Fornell and Jackson had the biggest grins in the room.

Mimi finally reached her groom and together they took hands and said their vows. Lily gave her mother away, Jackson remembered the ring and Karina sang as they kissed and everyone clapped and cheered.

It was a beautiful, simple ceremony. Gibbs and Mimi held hands and looked into each other's eyes as they said, "I do." As expected, Karina piped up. "I do!" she said loudly, the first time she had said two different words together. Everyone chuckled and Karina clapped.

Gibbs kissed his bride, and whispered softly in her ear, "I love you Mimi Gibbs."

The post-wedding party was fun and lively. Ziva and Tony accompanied one another for Gibbs' and Mimi's first dance together as husband and wife.

Mimi then danced with Jackson, and Gibb's with Lily. He then took turns this Mimi's sisters. Jackson cut in and was soon dancing with Mandy and Lily was dancing with Sean. Ducky was dancing with Sophie, then danced with Breena.

The cutting of the cake and the anticipated shoving of said cake in each other's mouth was the highlight and didn't fail to entertain. Gibbs took care not to get any cake on Mimi's gown, but the face was fair game.

Mimi laughed so hard she started to snort, which started her sisters, Lily and Ziva laughing and snorting.

"What is this?" Jackson asked. "A piggy convention?"

"Dad!" Gibbs growled, but had to laugh at his father's expression.

By four p.m., Gibbs and Mimi had changed clothes and took their leave. Their plane left at 6 p.m., arriving at LaGuardia at 7 p.m.

Gibbs insisted on driving themselves to the airport, so everyone could stay and enjoy themselves. But the party soon wore down, as everyone had their own New Year's Eve plans.

The team's party was being hosted by Tim and Abby. Breena and Ziva had changed their clothes and were cleaning up as best they could, so they wouldn't have to come home tonight to a disaster.

Tim had taken the folding chairs already back to his place, and when he came back, Tony, Tim, Sean and Jimmy helped to put the furniture back in its proper arrangement.

Karina had been put down for a nap, which she fought. It had been an exciting week for her. As fun and as wonderful as it all had been, Tony and Ziva were looking forward to some quiet time.

After tonight, it was a new year, and it would bring new things, including baby boy DiNozzo and Baby Boy and Girl McGee. Who knew what else lay ahead?

**New York**

Gibbs and Mimi's flight made good time, and had been smooth. A taxi took them to the building that housed Tony and Ziva's West Central Park apartment.

Gibbs opened the door, and then surprised Mimi by scooping her up and carrying her "bridal style" over the threshold into the apartment.

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Once he put her down, he drew her to him and kissed her deeply.

"Welcome to our honeymoon." Gibbs teased. They looked around and were taken aback by the opulence of the place. Mimi looked at Gibbs.

"I knew Tony came from money, but this is…I did not expect _this._" She ran her hand across the rich upholstery of the sofa.

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, well, I knew it would be _nice_, but I'm kind of surprised to, considering his father. But then again, I think this was from his mother's estate."

Mimi continued to explore. The kitchen was absolutely gorgeous, although Mimi had no intentions of cooking anything more elaborate than breakfast while they were here.

"Oh, my God, Jethro. You have got to see the master suite." Mimi called out.

Gibbs made his way down the hall and entered the large ensuite. He thought Tony and Ziva had a nice set-up, but this was like something out of "Architectural Digest".

He came behind Mimi and put his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "So, what's the plan for tonight? Eat first or…" He kissed her again.

Mimi turned around in his arms so that she was facing him. "You're an investigator. See if you can figure out the clues." Mimi began to unbutton his shirt.

Gibbs got a big grin on his face and responded by pulling her top off over her head.

He picked her up and carried her to the bed. It was huge, but they only needed a small area, as they would not be straying too far from each other.

Gibbs kissed his wife passionately, encouraged by Mimi's response. He only stopped when he saw the tears in her eyes.

He looked at her concerned. "Why are you crying?" He asked quietly.

"Because I am so happy you big dope! Now kiss me some more." Mimi pulled him back down, and he was happy to oblige.

**New Year's Eve- Tim and Abby's**

Everyone was in a great mood, after such a wonderful week. Mimi had checked frequently on Abby and considered everything to be ok, but told her she may need to cut back on some hours at work. At least work an eight hour day instead of the usual ten or twelve.

Fortunately, Lily had been selected to intern with Abby for the spring semester. She would be there twenty hours a week, which would be a big help for Abby.

They were both really excited about working together. Sean was a year ahead of Lily, and had interned last year at the FBI. This year, he was interning at Homeland Security and the Air Force, a new joint internship that had just been created and he was the first intern selected.

Tim and Tony both agreed that their pregnant wives would sit and enjoy themselves and would be waited on hand and foot. Tony was in charge of Karina, and Lily and her Aunts would be the party Hostesses.

Jackson's and Ducky's job was to sit and be entertained by the babies and the dogs. Tim, Jimmy and Breena were in charge of the food.

The babies were asleep by nine p.m. and put upstairs in Abby and Tim's bedroom, since it would fit both playpens. Abby dozed a bit with them, but Tim woke her up around eleven-thirty so she could be awake for the New Year.

At the stroked of midnight, Lily, Sophie and Mandy dragged everyone outside to "breathe in the new air": their family tradition. Tony thought it smelled the same as it had a minute before, but he knew about the ritual from Gibbs.

Tim and Abby somehow missed the memo, but were game. Jackson woke up just in time to say Happy New Year, then trudged downstairs to bed.

In his single days, Tony would have been partying until four in the morning, jamming on his guitar or playing the piano. But those days were gone, and frankly he was not sad to see them go.

He had something much better for him to do. He went upstairs and collected his sleeping daughter and laid her in Ziva's arms. He then went back up and folded up the playpen and put it in the car.

They only lived one block over but it was after midnight, dark and cold, and with a six-month pregnant wife and one-year old daughter, he wasn't about to take any chances.

Once he had everything packed into to the car, they hugged everyone goodnight and headed home, taking Lily with them. They said Sean could follow so he could say goodnight privately to Lily, but he wasn't to be all night about it.

Lily turned crimson, and Sean kind of stammered, but thanked Tony and Ziva for letting him follow them home.

Tony and Ziva looked at their sleeping daughter, and Lily who was watching to make sure Sean was behind them, and smiled at one another.

Breena and Jimmy collected Jamie and Ducky and headed to their home, where Dr. Mallard would be spending the night. Tim sent Abby back to bed, and Sophie and Mandy helped him clean up.

All in all, in was a great party and they were all thinking about Gibbs and Mimi. They had only heard from them once. Gibbs had called to let Tony know they were in the apartment. "We're here, bye" was about the extent of the conversation.

Tony chuckled and relayed the message to everyone that they had arrived safe and sound. Lily was worried. "Do you think they will remember to breathe in the new air?" She asked her Aunt Sophie.

Sophie looked at her niece, knowing what the answer was, but gave her the one Lily needed to hear: "Of'course they will." Sophie then texted Mimi to tell her that if they don't do it, lie and tell Lily that they did.

Mimi texted back "We'll crack open a window…" Sophie smiled at that.

**New York Honeymoon**

With the wonderful gifts they received from the team, they had many things to do without having to do much planning. They did get in a little bit of sightseeing, but for the most part, they just stayed together in the apartment.

The musical was great and dinner was superb. There last day they had the carriage ride that Jimmy and Breena provided for them. It was very cold and they had to bundle up tightly.

But the sights were beautiful, with the Christmas lights and decorations still up. They stopped for a nightcap before heading back to the apartment.

"You know, as nice as this place is, I really miss my basement." Gibbs said chuckling. Mimi was snuggled with him in the bed, the gas fireplace adding an ambience and romantic touch that his house couldn't equal.

Mimi sighed. "Yes, I suppose it would get boring to live like this every day." She giggled. Gibbs loved it when she giggled and caught her mouth in his.

"Our last night…" He said softly, stroking her hair softly.

"Not as far as I'm concerned. Don't think for a minute our honeymoon ends tonight, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. This is going to last for the rest of our lives."

Gibbs kissed her fervently and soon, they were lost once again in each other. It was particularly passionate and left both of the breathless.

"Wow…" Mimi said.

"Uh, huh." Gibbs managed to get out.

"I mean, like…wow." Mimi seemed dazed.

"Uh, huh." Gibbs answered back.

Mimi rolled over and looked at him. "Are you alright?"

Gibbs stared at the ceiling. "Uh, huh."

Mimi chuckled, and then started laughing which in turn caused her to start snorting, which effectively broke the spell.

"Damn, I hate it when I snort." Mimi was wiping her eyes.

"I don't." Gibbs kissed her on the lips and then got up to head to the bathroom to clean up.

He came back about ten minutes later with a funny look on his face. "Uh, Sweetie?"

Mimi looked at him, his tone of voice odd. "What?" She asked.

"How sure are you that you are, you know, going through…the change?" Gibbs' crystal blue eyes were totally unreadable at the moment.

Mimi sat up. "Why would you ask me that? What's wrong?"

Gibbs walked over to the bed, and sat next to her. "Well, I don't know if I would say it's wrong. After all, we are married."

Now Mimi looked worried. "Jethro, just say it, my mind is imagining all sorts of horrible things."

"My condom broke."

Mimi stared at him for about a full minute before she said anything. "Oh."

"Oh? That's all you're going to say? Is it possible you can get pregnant still?" He asked, searching her face.

Mimi's mind was racing. The last thing she ever considered was she and Jethro having a baby. If he had asked her last summer, she would have answered absolutely not.

But her cycles had started again, albeit erratic. This meant she had no idea.

"Mimi?" Gibbs got her attention.

She looked at her new husband. "I don't know, but I would say it's unlikely."

"But not impossible?" He asked again.

"What do you want me to say, Jethro? I am going through the change, but I am not done having periods. I never considered it. Are you upset? Are you angry?"

Gibbs looked surprised. "No, of'course I'm not angry. We have using condoms because I know it is not safe for you to be on the pill." He rubbed his face.

"I hadn't really thought about us having a baby, what with all the grandkids. I guess I just took it for granted that we wouldn't."

"I was thinking the same thing, Jethro. I mean, my mom was older than I am now when I was born, but she had to put a lot of her life on hold by having a child so late in life."

Gibbs kissed her. "Ok, this is what we are going to do. We are going to proceed as if this didn't happen. And if in a month or so we find out we're pregnant then we'll deal with it."

He kissed her again. "Don't worry. Everything will be ok, no matter what happens."

"Promise?" Mimi asked, unsure.

"Promise." Gibbs said, wrapping his arms around her.

_**Party, party, party…with a little potential shocker thrown in. I've already decided what happens, but wonder what you think? Thanks for the great reviews as always.**_


	42. Chapter 42

"_**I hadn't really thought about us having a baby, what with all the grandkids. I guess I just took it for granted that we wouldn't."**_

"_**I was thinking the same thing, Jethro. I mean, my mom was older than I am now when I was born, but she had to put a lot of her life on hold by having a child so late in life."**_

_**Gibbs kissed her. "Ok, this is what we are going to do. We are going to proceed as if this didn't happen. And if in a month or so we find out we're pregnant then we'll deal with it."**_

_**He kissed her again. "Don't worry. Everything will be ok, no matter what happens."**_

"_**Promise?" Mimi asked, unsure.**_

"_**Promise." Gibbs said, wrapping his arms around her.**_

Chapter Forty-Two: "Back to Reality"

Gibbs and Mimi got back on January 4th, to find their home decorated with "Welcome Home Mr. & Mrs. Gibbs" and streamers and balloons.

"Let me guess: Abby." Gibbs looked at the huge sign. Mimi looked around at the rest of the decorations.

"I certainly hope she didn't hang that sign herself, because if she did I am going to give Tim the spanking of his life!" Mimi was kidding but Gibbs knew she was going to check with Tim to make sure Abby did not get up on a ladder.

Gibbs shook his head. They were home for about a half an hour when Jethro and Bailey showed up at the back door.

Bailey was almost beside himself, seeing his mommy and daddy again. "Hey, Bailey! We were only gone four days. Actually three and a half days."

Mimi was chuckling. "I told you: dogs have no concept of time. We could have been gone a year for all he knows."

Gibbs let Bailey sit with him and groom him, and he was sure Bailey was scolding him for leaving him. When he was done with Gibbs, Bailey turned his attention to Mimi.

Gibbs picked up his cell and called Tim. "Hey! You guys missing a dog?" He asked good-naturedly.

"Boss! Are you home?" Tim looked out the French doors and could see Mimi waving from theirs. "I see you. Guess the dogs figured it out! Have you called Lily yet?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Barely in the door. Maybe thirty minutes. Mimi wants to talk to you about the, uh decorations that greeted us. I hope for your sake Abby did not put them up." Gibbs gave Tim a heads up.

Tim smiled. "You can tell Mimi she can relax. Abby was nowhere near a ladder or step stool, although she was rather bossy about the whole thing."

Gibbs looked surprised. "Is Abby taking a nap?" He asked drily.

Tim nodded. "Yep, and I didn't say what I just said." He looked around to make sure Abby hadn't snuck up on him. Mandy and Sophie just smirked at him.

Gibbs cocked his head. "Yeah, well, McGee. I have your back. Hang on; Mimi wants to talk to you."

Gibbs continued to take their luggage upstairs as Mimi gave Tim the third degree. Poor McGee, he shook his head. He didn't listen to Mimi too much. He was sure she wasn't too harsh. She just had her nurse's hat on right now.

When he came downstairs, Mimi was laughing with Tim on the phone, so whatever he said satisfied her. She spoke briefly with her sisters and said they could come back whenever they were up to it.

She hung up. "I better call Lily before she hears we're home from someone else." Mimi looked at Gibbs. He gave her a kiss.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

Lily was in the kitchen with Ziva helping her make dinner when her cell rang. "It's mom!" She cried out excitedly. "Hi Mom! Are you and Daddy home?" Lily was practically wiggling in excitement.

"Hi, Sweetie. Yes, we are home. Just taking stuff upstairs. Bailey and Jethro figured it out before we got a chance to call. What are you doing?"

"Ziva and I are making dinner." She said excitedly. She covered her phone. "Mom and Daddy are home." She said, as if Ziva hadn't already figured that out.

Ziva smiled warmly at her, her eyes crinkling with laughter at Lily's excitement. She left the kitchen and went downstairs where Tony was watching one of the playoff games and Karina was riding her pony.

"Hey." She sat next to Tony and gave him a kiss. Tony looked surprised and put his arm around his wife. "That was nice. What's the occasion, other than my adorableness?"

Ziva rolled her eyes. "I just wanted to let you know that Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Jethro Gibbs have returned home. Lily is talking to her mom right as we speak."

Tony smiled wide and turned to Karina. "Did you hear that, Punkin? Grandma and Grandpa are home." Karina grinned. "Papa momo." She said.

"That's right, Sweetie." Ziva smiled at her daughter's delight. She hadn't figured out how to continue to make the pony rock yet all the time, but she seemed to enjoy just sitting on it.

She turned to Tony. "Do you think we should invite them over for dinner? They may be too tired to cook tonight, or they may still want some privacy." Ziva eyes were expectant.

Tony shrugged. "I'd love to have them over. Ask them, if they say yes, great; if they want to stay home, great. It's their call." He gave Ziva a quick kiss on the lips again.

Ziva called Gibbs, knowing Lily was talking to her Mimi on her cell. He smiled at Ziva's invite. "Let me see if Mimi feels like cooking or not." Ziva could hear some muffled talking in the background.

"Mimi's sisters and my dad are heading back over here, so we should probably stay here. What? Oh, ok. Hang on again." Gibbs covered the phone. "Ziva said we can all come over. So what do you want to do?"

Mimi looked at her husband, smiling as he let her decide how they were spending their evening, well, at least their dinner. "Tell them we'll be over and a big thank you." She kissed his cheek and headed up the stairs.

"I guess we'll see you shortly." Gibbs announced.

Ziva looked at Tony and nodded. "Ok, I'll set out more plates. See you soon." She ended the call and looked at Tony's amused look. "What?"

"So, are we expecting a hoard?" Tony asked.

"Well, I do not know about that, but at least five more people. Maybe we should check and see if Tim and Abby want to join us as well. We have plenty of food."

"Sounds like a plan." Tony got up and turned the football game off. He picked up Karina. "How about them Tampa Bay Bucs, huh? Lily's happy. Let's go change your clothes, Squirt. We're having guests." He held her up and kissed her belly, which caused peals of laughter.

Tony loved his daughter's laugh. It had a musical quality to it that made it irresistible. He wondered if her laugh would deepen to the throaty chuckle her mother had, or if she would retain her child-like abandon?

Tony decided he would be happy with either one and slung Karina around him, and carried her piggy-back up to her room.

The dinner was a joyous reunion for Lily. She couldn't wait for next week, when they would go down to the courthouse to begin the adoption paperwork. Then she would forever be a Gibbs.

At one point, Gibbs took Tony, Tim and Ziva aside and asked if there had been any further incidents with the "Mannequin" case. They all shook their heads.

"McGee and I checked your house several times a day. We even decided to stake it out for a couple of hours, just in case this nut case showed up." Tony shook his head.

"I learned more about being pregnant with twins than I ever want to know." Tony shuddered and looked significantly at Ziva. "Promise me we will never have twins."

Tim only looked slightly affronted, but smiled because he had enjoyed watching Tony squirm.

That comment surprised Ziva, as she and Tony had not really discussed the number of children they wanted to have. From his comment, she took it to mean that Tony wanted at least one more child after their son was born. A child that would hopefully be a lot more than fifteen months younger than their second child.

Ziva loved being pregnant and being a mother, but two pregnancies so close to one another was not something she would have chosen. Still, things were going very well, and she felt good. She patted Tony's cheek.

"I do not think we get to choose, Tony. We take what we get." She looked at him, smiling at him like she does when she thinks he is being ridiculous.

Ziva has a whole repertoire of smiles, and Tony loves every one of them, even the ones that show he is in trouble or about to get into trouble.

He smiled back and put his arm around her. "I guess you're right. We'll just have to wait and see."

Gibbs listened to this exchange with some amusement and surprise. "Let me get this straight. You haven't even had your second child yet and you're already planning a third?"

"Not planning, Boss. But I'm always thinking. I think about a lot of things. I just don't always talk about it."

Gibbs nodded, thinking about his and Mimi's last night in New York and the possibilities that could come out of it. And like Tony, he didn't talk about it. No use in worrying about stuff until it happens. They would know soon enough if there was something to tell.

Tony rambled on. "We sat down with Karina and her baby, and tried to get her to understand that her mommy was having a baby too. Ziva let her play with her stomach and the baby kicked. Boss, you should have seen Karina's eyes when that happened! I wish I had my phone ready to take a picture, although…" At this, Tony looked at Ziva. "Ziva doesn't like me to take pictures of her baby belly."

Ziva patted his arm. "I don't mind the ones for us, but you would have shown that picture to everyone, and no. I do not want everyone to see my exposed large stomach!"

Tony just chuckled. "Anyway, we're not sure Karina got the idea. We put her baby on Ziva's stomach and then handed it to Karina."

"Giving her sex education already, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, his eyebrow cocked.

"What? No! Just that a baby comes from inside their mommy's tummy; not how they get there. Sheesh!"

Gibbs chuckled at Tony's reply. He turned to Tim. "How's Abby doing? I know what Mimi said, but I would like to hear it from you myself."

"Well, from a medical standpoint, Mimi does say she is doing really well, but I have to tell you, Boss; she is getting really tired lately. I'm not sure she can work more than eight hours. I'm really glad she'll have Lily with her, at least part-time. She can do the running and lifting anyway."

Gibbs nodded. He would speak to Abby himself as well. There was no way he was going to ground her unless it was by doctor's orders or her idea. But he was going to make it clear that she was going to take it easy and he would be keeping an eye on her.

Everyone called it an early night. It was Saturday, and tomorrow Gibbs and Mimi were taking her sisters sight-seeing downtown. One of the strange things about living in the DC metro area is that the residents never did any of the tourist stuff.

Gibbs had never taken his dad to see the WWII Memorial, but tomorrow they would go. They would also go to as many Smithsonian museums they could manage, depending on weather and fatigue factors.

Maybe they would take one of those _DC Ducks_ tours. They were really fun because in addition to driving around the Capital of the United States, it was also an amphibious vehicle and it took the riders into the Potomac River as well.

Mimi's sisters were heading back to Florida on Monday. Mimi was off, so she would be taking them to the airport. Lily would be reporting for her first day of internship at NCIS. That afternoon, Gibbs was taking off and going to the courthouse with Mimi and Lily to start the adoption process.

Gibbs hoped it wouldn't be too involved and the fact that Lily was a legal adult present a problem. Legally, Lily could change her name to anything she wanted, but he knew the real motivation was for her to be his legal daughter.

**Monday, NCIS**

Gibbs stepped out of the elevator to a quiet room. He was glad he was in before almost everyone else. He was coming back to work as a married man, and knew some of the other agents would make a big deal about it.

Tim was at his desk, as usual. "Hey, Boss! Tony and Ziva are dropping off Karina as we speak. Did you bring in Lily, or is she coming in later?" Tim smiled.

Gibbs strode to his desk. "Lily reports in at 8am in HR, and then she goes down to Abby." He looked at Tim. "I'm going to keep an eye on Abby, but I'm counting on you to rein her in when it's necessary."

McGee nodded. "Already on it, Boss."

Just then, Tony and Ziva arrived. "Morning, Boss, McGee. Where's Lily?"

Gibbs looked exasperated. "Look, Lily is here on internship, not to entertain you. Leave her alone so she can learn something."

"Ouch!" Tony said, pretending to be hurt. "We won't bug her. We just wanted to make sure she got here ok."

Gibbs shook his head. "I am sure the minute she shows up in Abby's lab, Abby will bring her up. In the meantime, I think there is a back log of paperwork with each of your names on it."

That resulted in a collective groan. "Sure know how to kill the holiday spirit, Boss." Tony pouted. Ziva smirked at him.

"Holidays' are over, DiNozzo." Gibbs said, smiling.

Exactly two hours later, Abby showed up in the bullpen with Lily. Lily very proudly modeled her lab coat and official NCIS name badge. "Isn't this great? Today, she will be starting with receipt and logging of evidence. If we don't get any new cases, we'll work with old cases just to give her the experience of the proper way to handle evidence."

"That's a good idea, Abbs." Gibbs said. His phone rang. "Gibbs." He listened for about one minute. "Got it." He hung and looked at everyone. "Gear up, dead Marine."

Unfortunately, it was a "real" dead Marine. Deep down, there was an unspoken concern if this would turn out to be another "Mannequin" case. They felt bad that they were relieved it wasn't.

"Just shoot me, Ziva." Tony said to his partner, once they were back at NCIS.

Ziva stopped her typing. "What are you talking about? Why would I shoot you, at least right now?"

"Haha…I mean for being glad this is a real case and not one of those mannequin thingies. I mean, what kind of person am I to wish for a real dead Marine?" Tony was really bothered.

Ziva walked over to Tony, soothing her husband as opposed her partner. "Tony, none of us wanted it to be the mannequin, but that does not mean we wanted someone dead. Do not beat yourself up over this. It shows you care, and that is something to hold on to." She caressed his cheek.

Tony looked down, then back up into the eyes of the love of his life. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" He whispered.

"You loved me, and you let me in. After that, it was easy." She kissed her husband and went back to her desk. She studied the crime scene photos and noticed something odd.

"Tony, come over here and look at the pictures." Tony frowned and got up and joined her, leaning over her shoulder.

"What is it?" Tony scanned the photos, trying to figure out what Ziva was talking about.

"This one." Ziva put it up on the plasma. Tony walked over to it and studied it.

He looked back at Ziva. "Ok, what is bugging you?"

Ziva looked exasperated. "Just look at it, Tony. I do not want to color your response by saying what I think."

Tony looked confused at Ziva, but turned back to study the picture. The Marine had been stabbed, multiple times, but by the size of the wounds the knife or implement used appeared to be small. Maybe that was what she was referring to. "Small sharp weapon, not a large knife?" He looked over her shoulder.

Ziva nodded, but was not satisfied. "See anything else?"

"Ziva…"

"Tony, please! I do not want to jump to a conclusion unless someone else sees it as well!" Ziva was concerned and that alone caused Tony to stare at the photo more closely, to see what Ziva was seeing and what he was missing.

He took in everything: his expression, his uniform, his body posture…wait. Tony looked at Ziva. "His hand?"

Ziva sighed in relief. "What do you see?"

Tony looked at the Marine's hand. "It looks like he is pointing at something."

"Yes!" Ziva said triumphantly. "Do we know the body's orientation? What could he be pointing at?"

Tony went back to his desk and went to his notebook to look at his sketches. "Ok, he was lying next to a warehouse in Old Town Alexandria, on the waterfront. So his head was…east? Which would mean he was pointing north?"

"We need to take this to Abby. Maybe she can pull up a map and we can follow the direction he was pointing." Tony went over to Ziva and gave her a hand's up out of her chair.

They headed downstairs and entered Abby's lab. Apparently, the babies were enjoying Broadway music now, as that was blaring from her speakers.

"Abby!" Tony called out.

Abby whirled in her seat. "Hey! Hi Ziva! How's it going?"

Ziva smiled. "Abby, we have something that we need your help with."

"Whatcha' got?" Abby asked, excited.

Tony looked around. "Where's Lily?"

Abby smiled wide. "She left to meet Gibbs and Mimi at the Arlington Courthouse to start the adoption process. She is so excited. I hope everything goes ok."

Tony kicked himself. "I forgot about that. I should have said something to her before she left, and to Gibbs."

Ziva brought them back on topic. "Abby, can you pull up the crime scene photos?"

Abby twirled back toward her workstation and pulled up the photos. Ziva stood beside her. "That one." Ziva pointed to the picture she and Tony were interested in.

Abby put it up on the plasma. "Ok, what's up?"

Tony stepped up to the plasma. "Abby, are you able to superimpose a map of the metro area and put this photo in proper orientation to where we found him?"

"Interesting thinking, DiNozzos. I like it." Abby typed at lightning speed. Within moments a detailed map of Northern Virginia and Washington, DC was on the plasma."

"Where was the body found?" She asked Tony.

Tony walked over to Abby and pointed to the map. "Right here, parallel against this building, head east, feet west."

Abby inserted the picture of the dead Marine onto the map. "Let me enlarge the map and change the photo's dimensions so that it is an accurate rendering."

Abby worked for a few minutes. They all looked at the body and the map. "Ok, now what? What are you thinking?"

"Abby, can you start at his left hand. Can you see his finger is pointing?" Ziva asked.

Abby looked closely. "Yes, I see it. I know what you want. You want to see what he is pointing at. You guys are so good…ok, I'm going to extend a line from his finger and see where it leads us. And the answer is…" Abby stopped, her eyes wide.

She looked at Tony and Ziva, who were also disturbed by what they were looking at. The Marine's pointed finger led in a direct line to the Navy Yard, and NCIS.

"Shit!" Tony muttered under his breath. "Thanks, Abbs." He started to steer Ziva out of the lab, but Abby stopped him.

"Wait, stop! What does this mean? Was the killer pointing to us? Is one of us next?" Abby looked so scared that Tony went over to her and gave her a hug.

"We're not sure what it means yet, Abbs. But it does tell me that the killer knew NCIS would be called to the scene. Anything else would be conjecture. And you know what I say about conjecture." Tony said quietly.

Abby looked up at him, her eyes betraying her fear. "No, what?"

Tony shrugged. "I don't know, I thought you could tell me."

"Oh, you!" Abby punched him in the arm. Tony smiled. He interrupted Abby's train of thought and now she was thinking he was a big jerk, which was fine with him.

He took Ziva's hand and led her out of the lab and to the elevator. She started to speak but he shook his head. Once they got inside, he turned to her.

"You are thinking something, aren't you?" Ziva asked, worried.

Tony nodded grimly. "I am. And I hope I'm wrong." Ziva was surprised that he took them down to autopsy.

Ducky and Jimmy looked up as the sliding doors opened. "Tony! And Ziva! My dear you look wonderful!" Ducky gushed as though he hadn't just seen her less than a week ago.

"I presume that Jethro has left to start the paperwork for our dear Lily?" He asked Tony.

"Yeah, Ducky. Whatcha' got so far?"

Ducky looked at the body on the table. "Ah, this poor fellow. I am afraid his death was slow and painful. He was stabbed multiple times; the stab wounds are quite small."

"Why didn't he fight back?" Ziva asked, wondering how he could have allowed someone to stab him so many times.

"Ah, good question, Ziva. I believe our victim was restrained so that he could not fight back. See…there are ligature marks at his wrists and although I cannot tell, I would imagine his feet were bound as well."

"Was he gagged? Wouldn't his screams have alerted someone?" Tony asked. He looked at Ziva, who frowned. "What?" Tony asked.

Ziva looked at Tony, then back at Ducky and Jimmy. "From what I recall of the photos, there didn't seem to be a lot of blood at the scene."

"You are correct, my dear. I do not think we have the murder scene. Our poor Marine was placed there for someone to find."

"For _us _to find." Tony said. "What kind of knife do you think he was killed with?"

Ducky considered. "A number of small implements come to mind, a non-serrated small kitchen knife, one end of a small set of scissors…"

"A scalpel?" Tony asked.

Ducky looked surprised at that but nodded. "Yes, a scalpel could indeed have been the implement used to inflict these wounds. Tony, why would you think it was a scalpel?"

Tony looked at Ziva, and from her expression, he realized that she had figured out where he was going with this.

_**What do you think is going on? Who could our killer be, and why? Thanks for the review and favs. Check out my fist song-fic "Being Alive." It's a perfect song for Tony and where he and Ziva are right now in the series. Anyway, I think so. **_


	43. Chapter 43

"_**For us to find." Tony said. "What kind of knife do you think he was killed with?"**_

_**Ducky considered. "A number of small implements come to mind, a non-serrated small kitchen knife, one end of a small set of scissors…"**_

"_**A scalpel?" Tony asked.**_

_**Ducky looked surprised at that but nodded. "Yes, a scalpel could indeed have been the implement used to inflict these wounds. Tony, why would you think it was a scalpel?"**_

_**Tony looked at Ziva, and from her expression, he realized that she had figured out where he was going with this.**_

Chapter Forty-Three: "New Concerns"

Gibbs, Mimi and Lily had finished out the paperwork and were sitting down with the Clerk of the Adoption Court, Ms. Emilia Coretz. She read over the paperwork, and then looked at Lily over her glasses that were perched on her nose.

"Ms. Allen, may I call you Lily?" She began.

Lily nodded yes, smiling but nervous.

"I see that you are twenty-two years old. That makes you legally an adult. I don't see why you would need to be adopted. You live on your own, do you not?"

Mimi started to cut in, but Gibbs put his hand on hers. Lily frowned, but collected herself.

"I am currently living on campus at GW, but I do live at home with my _parents_. This isn't about me needing adult supervision, it's about me wanting the only man who has been a father to me, to _be_ my father: _legally_. I don't care that I am of legal age. The only thing I care about is being the legal daughter of Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Lily was firm.

Ms. Coretz smiled slightly. She looked at Gibbs. "And Mr. Gibbs? What are your thoughts on this?"

Gibbs cocked his head and smiled slightly in return. "You heard the young lady. She wants me to her father, and I want her to be my daughter. Fate brought us together later in life. Age isn't a factor. It's about love."

Ms. Coretz scribbled some things down. "Mrs. Gibbs? Your thoughts?"

Mimi took a deep breath. "Frankly, I don't think I could say it any better than my daughter and husband just did. Lily was born after her father died. She has never had a father until Jethro came into our lives. I say better late than never."

Ms. Coretz considered the trio in front of them. She smiled. "Very well. You understand that I do not make the decision. I make a recommendation based on this interview and then the Judge will grant or not grant the adoption request."

They all looked at each other. "So what's next? How long do we have to wait?" Lily burst out. Mimi put her arm around her, rubbing her back soothingly.

The clerk looked at Gibbs. "Do you have an attorney?" Gibbs looked surprised at that. "Yeah, I can get one. Do I need one?"

Ms. Coretz actually chuckled. "This _is_ a legal proceeding so yes; you need to be represented by a lawyer. If nothing else, think of it as a courtesy to the Judge." She shuffled her papers. "You will get a notice of the date of your hearing, which is usually four to six weeks from filing, and will be expected to attend, with your lawyer." She looked at Lily.

"The Judge may or may not ask you some questions. Don't let that worry you. As I said, I don't make the decision, but I don't see any problems at this point." She held up her hand when she saw Lily get all excited.

"Please, Lily. Don't count on anything just yet. I don't want to rain on your parade, but just be calm and positive, ok?" Lily nodded, somewhat subdued. They all stood and shook hands.

"Come on." Gibbs took each of their hands and led them out. Ms. Coretz smiled as she watched them leave. She looked down at her paperwork and wrote in the "Recommendation" section: _Approve_.

They got to their cars. Gibbs kissed them both and told them he would see them later at home. It was still early as far as his day was concerned, so he headed back to NCIS.

As he stepped into the bullpen, Tony whipped his head up. "How did it go, Boss?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Lots of paperwork, talked to a lady, will get a hearing. What have you got?" Gibbs quickly got back into work mode.

"Nothing you're going to like, Boss." Tony said grimly, getting up from behind his desk. Gibbs looked up at that. "McGee." Tony was asking McGee to put up the picture of the dead Marine.

They all got up and stood in front of the plasma. "Ziva actually noticed it, Boss. Look as his hand; he appears to be pointing at something."

McGee clicked to the next screen, which showed the map of the DC metro area. "Ziva and I asked Abby to bring up the map and correlate the body's location with the map. We then followed the finger." Tony winced, thinking bad choice of words and expected a head slap.

Gibbs was staring intently at the screen and the line heading straight to NCIS. Tony continued. "The killer knew NCIS would investigate. Knew we would be there. Just a little shout out: 'I know who you are'."

"And maybe thinks they are smarter than we are. Anything else to link this to us?" Gibbs looked at Tony expression and frowned. "What?"

Tony looked at Ziva, who nodded. "The Marine was murdered somewhere else and his body was staged. Ziva and I went to see Ducky and he agrees with the possibility that the murder weapon was a scalpel." Tony let that sink in.

Gibbs looked up sharply. "You're thinking this is about Duck? The murderer was sending us a message that Ducky is in his sights?"

"The use of the scalpel narrows it down to him. If the murder weapon had been an Israeli knife, well…" Tony let that trail off.

"So he's leaving clues, baiting us." Gibbs looked back at the picture.

"Boss…" McGee began. Gibbs looked at him. "Yeah, is there something else?" He was mad this could be about Ducky.

"We're thinking this may be our "Mannequin" killer, only now he has escalated to the real thing." Tim looked grim.

"Based on what?" Gibbs asked.

"Gut feeling." Tony said. "We've heard nothing from this guy since November. As soon as you get back from your honeymoon, we get this case. This person knows us too well."

"So he gave us the holidays off? And how would he know I was on my honeymoon, and what does that have to do with Duck?" Gibbs looked unconvinced.

"It may have nothing to do with Ducky." Ziva said quietly.

Gibbs looked at Ziva and his heart skipped a beat. "Except that he works with me, he's my friend." He looked at this team. "You're thinking this psycho is targeting all of us, because of me?"

"You said it, Boss. Psycho. Do you know if Ducky has had anything happen at his house? Like the ribbon on the front door? We didn't tell him about it, so he may not have taken it to mean anything." Tony watched Gibbs head toward the elevator.

Tony looked grimly at the plasma. "I hope this isn't tied into the mannequin stuff. That was disturbing, but harmless. This…"

"Yeah, this is getting too real. And here I was freaked out by a little black ribbon on my door knob." McGee countered. He went back to his computer.

"What are you doing, McGee?" Ziva asked.

"Working out a timeline for our mannequin guy, seeing if it correlates to anything we've been working on…"

"Or happening in our private lives." Tony added grimly. "Good idea, McGeek."

Tim ignored Tony and began working. "Ok, when was the first mannequin?" Tony went back to his case files. "Here it is: September 23rd. Anything about that day ring a bell with anyone?"

Tim thought for a moment, and then looked up at Tony and Ziva. "Yes, it was the day after Abby and I got back from our honeymoon, and the same day we went to see Mimi and found out we were expecting, but you found the mannequin while we were at the clinic."

Tony and Ziva frowned at that. "That correlates to this murder, the day after Gibbs and Mimi return from their honeymoon. Shit. Ok, the second one was November 6th. Anything?"

Tim looked puzzled and checked his iPhone. "Abby and I were at the clinic again _that_ day when we found out we were having twins, but it was again _after_ we found the mannequin, and I was shot at. So I don't think it has to do with that."

Tony and Ziva considered that. "We were there the week before, getting our ultrasound to find out if we were having a boy or a girl." Ziva said quietly.

"Then the next one was when Gibbs, Mimi and Lily were in Florida for Thanksgiving." Tony paced. "Other than Ziva and I being at the clinic the week before, there is nothing else to indicate that this person has anything to do with the clinic or Mimi, is there?"

"Why would anyone be going after Mimi?" Tim asked, incredulous.

Tony sat in his sat, defeated. "I can't think of any reason, except for Gibbs. I mean, who doesn't like Mimi? Unless she has a co-worker who knows about her relationship with Gibbs and us, and we somehow pissed this person off…"

"It would explain having access to a scalpel." Ziva suggested, her voice a whisper.

Tony looked at her, a little concerned at how pale her face was. "I think the timing may be a coincidence, and I know Gibbs has made Mimi aware of being vigilant and observant about her surroundings. We can show him what we have, and he can decide if he needs to take it any further. If it _is_ a co-worker of Mimi's, they would know when she was out of town."

"Like Thanksgiving and her honeymoon." Tim stated.

Tony looked at him. "I guess maybe we better have Gibbs look into the people that Mimi works with, and see if there is anyone from our past that could have something against us."

Ziva suddenly hissed and clutched her stomach. Tony was immediately at her side. "Ziva?" Tony's eyes were wide with alarm. Ziva just pointed to her chair. Tony led her over and helped her sit down.

"Babe, are you ok? Are you having contractions?" Tony couldn't keep the panic out of his voice. Everything had been going so well!

"I am fine." She winced. Tony looked at Tim, who mouthed "should I call 911?" Tony shook his head. "Get Ducky up here."

**Autopsy**

Gibbs strode into the room, finding Ducky at his desk. "Aw, Jethro! I was wondering when you would find your way down here. As I was telling Tony and Ziva…"

"Duck." Gibbs interrupted. "Has anything strange happened at your home? Any unexpected mail or deliveries?"

Ducky got up and faced Jethro. "Not that I can recall. Why would you ask such a thing?"

Jethro rubbed his face. "You have an alarm system right?"

"Well, yes…"

"Have there been any false alarms? Any sign of someone trying to break in?" Gibbs took a breath. "Did you happen to find a black ribbon on your front door knob?"

Ducky regarded Gibbs with concern. "No, to all of those things. Jethro, are you concerned about my safety? I know Tony and Ziva wanted to know whether or not the weapon used to kill our poor young man here could have been a scalpel…"

"Was it?" Gibbs asked, staring his old friend with worried eyes.

Ducky was quiet. "Based on the size of the cuts, the depth and the tunneling caused by pushing the blade in…yes, in my opinion the weapon was a scalpel with a #10 blade. Jethro, surely you don't think this has something to do with me?"

Gibbs paced. "Duck, remember those mannequins?"

Ducky looked disgusted. "Yes, a complete waste of our time and taxpayers money!"

Gibbs had to smile at Ducky's logic. Then he turned serious again. "One showed up at my home. And black ribbons were placed on both Tony's and Tim's front doors, all at the same time."

"What?" Ducky snapped his head back at Jethro. "When? And why didn't you say anything?"

"November, Thanksgiving actually, when we were down in Florida. Tim saw my motion lights go on and he and Tony went to investigate. They found the mannequin on my deck, and ran to their homes to find the black ribbons."

"Oh, dear Lord, Jethro." Ducky sat back down in his chair.

"I didn't say anything Duck, because it was harmless; disturbing, but harmless. And frankly, since you didn't say anything, I just assumed nothing had happened and whoever this person is has been playing with my Agents."

"But now you are thinking it is no longer harmless. Are you conjecturing that our mannequin maniac is the killer; that he has stepped up his game? And you are concerned it was a message to me because the murder weapon was a scalpel?"

"And his body was displayed with his hand and finger pointing directly at NCIS."

"Oh my, that I didn't know. Should I be concerned?" Ducky asked.

"Well, you should always be concerned, Ducky. But if this guy hasn't shown up at your place yet, I'm betting he doesn't know your name or where you live. I'd like to keep it that way." He paused. "Get Palmer in the loop. He hasn't mentioned anything has he?"

"I would have told you immediately if he had." Ducky admonished Gibbs.

"I know." Gibbs cell rang. "Yeah, Gibbs. What?" He looked at Ducky in alarm. "We'll be right up."

Ducky stood up. "Is something wrong?"

Gibbs looked at him. "Ziva."

**NCIS Bullpen**

Ziva rubbed her stomach. "I think it is just Braxton-Hicks." She said, clutching Tony's hand.

Tony frowned. "I thought those weren't supposed to hurt?" Ziva looked at him. The elevator dinged and Gibbs and Ducky came flying out of the elevator.

"Ziver." Gibbs was at her desk.

Tony moved out of the way so Ducky could talk to her and check her.

"It was just one very strong, painful contraction. Nothing else has happened." Ziva looked at the men who were surrounding her. Ducky looked at Tony. "Tony, get Ziva a bottle of water."

He looked conflicted, but at Ducky's glare he got up and ran down to the vending machines to get some water for Ziva. He got three and ran back up, out of breath.

"Three?" Ziva asked in disbelief. "Well, if you don't drink them all, I may need one so I don't pass out." Tony said weakly.

Gibbs steered Tony to his chair and sat him down. He opened up a bottle of water and shoved it into his hand. "Drink!" He ordered.

Ducky did the same with Ziva. "Sometimes if you are a little dehydrated, that can precipitate Braxton-Hicks contractions. When was the last time you had something to drink?"

Ziva looked at Ducky, then at Gibbs and Tony. "I…I really don't remember." She looked down. Tony got up and went to her.

"Hey, you're drinking now and now you know to keep hydrated." He rubbed her shoulders.

Gibbs looked at Ziva with concern. "Just the same, take her home, Tony. I'll give Mimi a call to check on her." Ziva looked worried. "Just to be safe, ok?" She nodded.

Gibbs watched Tony gather their things and steer Ziva to the elevator. Once the doors closed he sat in his chair and rubbed his eyes. He pulled out his cell to call Mimi, but Tim stopped him.

"Boss, before you call Mimi, you need to see something." He explained what they had come up with, and with the startling possibility that this may all be at the hands of a co-workers of Mimi's.

Gibbs face fell, feeling as if the bottom had just dropped out of his world. "Mimi has never mentioned anyone she's had a problem with at work. And I can't imagine the number of people she comes into contact with when she's there: the clinic, the OR, the lab."

"So we're talking about a lot of people." Ducky cut in. "Do you know if Mimi talks about her private life with her co-workers?"

Gibbs considered the question. "Well, they all know about Lily, probably since she was a little girl. Mimi's been there for a while. And they know we were getting married, because the Nurse's gave her a little wedding shower. But I don't know how much she tells them. I've only met her Boss."

"Didn't some of the other Nurses come over to Tony and Ziva's when she was pregnant with Karina and on bed rest?" Tim asked.

Gibbs nodded. "But Mimi and I had barely met by then. Tony and Ziva certainly didn't mention any problem with them or that they had been involved in earlier cases. And besides, we've already established our mannequin guy is a male. I think Tony or Ziva would have mentioned if a male Nurse showed up."

Gibbs stood up and grabbed his stuff. "I'm heading home. This isn't a conversation I want to have with Mimi over the phone." Ducky and Tim watched him leave. Ducky turned to Tim.

"Do you really think it could possibly be someone who works with Mimi?" Ducky asked.

Tim shrugged. "It's the best hypothesis we have right now, considering her association with NCIS and the use of the scalpel as the murder weapon."

Ducky shook his head. "Well, I hope Jethro's sake you're wrong. He's finally found happiness again; I can't imagine what he would do…"

"I know, Ducky. I know." Tim said grimly.

**Gibbs's and Mimi's Home**

Gibbs arrived home and found Mimi in the kitchen, as usual. "Hi!" She said surprised. "I didn't expect you home so soon!" She gave him a big hug and kiss.

"Where's Lily?" Gibbs asked, looking around.

Mimi stopped smiling. "I dropped her off at her dorm, what's wrong?"

Gibbs looked as his wife of not quite one week. "Let's sit down; I need to talk to you about something. Ask you something."

"Okay…why am I getting the feeling I'm not going to like this?" Mimi couldn't keep the tremor from her voice.

"Probably because you aren't." Gibbs held her hand and caressed it, trying to reassure her.

"Honey, do you talk about me and NCIS at work?" Gibbs eyes searched her face as she registered surprise at the question.

After she got over her initial reaction, Mimi considered his question thoughtfully, without asking the _"why?"_ she wanted to scream out first.

"Well, my Boss was at our wedding, you met her. The Nurses, Doctors and staff I work with in the clinic know I am now married to Jethro Gibbs, but I don't sit around and gossip about my private life, unlike some of the staff." The disgust in Mimi's voice was hard to miss.

"Of'course, Tony and Ziva, and Tim and Abby all come to the clinic. It may or may not be clear to some that I know them personally as well as professionally. Where they work would be in their patient files."

Mimi tightened her grip on Gibbs' hand. "What is this about?"

Gibbs looked at her closely, trying to gauge her potential reaction. "Do you remember those "mannequin" cases?"

Mimi looked surprised. "How could I forget? And what could possibly that have to do with my work?"

Gibbs sighed. "I didn't tell you this before because I didn't want to ruin things for us."

Mimi looked confused and slightly frightened. "What are you talking about?"

Gibbs looked at her, mad at himself, and begging her to not be mad at him. "While we were in Florida, over Thanksgiving, another mannequin showed up."

"Ok." Mimi said slowly. "Why would that ruin things for us?"

"Because the mannequin was on our deck."

Mimi gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. She removed her hand from Gibbs and stood up and paced. "How could you not tell me that?" His hopes were dashed, she was angry.

"Well, I certainly wasn't going to tell you over the phone, and then the day you and Lily came home, we made our big announcement. Others things took precedence. I thought I was protecting you, by not telling you."

He waved his hands around. "You've seen what I've already done to protect you and Lily. I even took you to target practice for God's sake." Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck.

Mimi sat down beside him. "Ok, I can see how you thought you were doing me a favor. So _now_ you are going to tell me what is going on that has you worried about the people I work with." She was no longer angry, but she was not pleased either.

"We had another case today, not a mannequin, but a real dead Marine. Mimi, he was killed with a scalpel, and his body was staged with his finger pointing directly at NCIS."

Mimi shuddered. "That's horrible! But what does that have to do with the mannequins? I can see you thinking the killer would be medical to have access to a scalpel, but…"

"Tony, Tim and Ziva did a timeline of the mannequin cases, to see if there was any pattern or something that seemed suspicious." Gibbs had his hand on her leg.

"And they found something that links it to me?" Mimi now looked scared.

"Not a definite link, but a lot of coincidences." Gibbs said. "The first case was the day after Tim and Abby returned from their honeymoon. They saw you that day in the clinic, but we found the mannequin before their appointment."

Mimi nodded. "What else?"

"The second one occurred the day Tim and Abby went in for their second visit. Again, the mannequin was found before their appointment and this is the time Tim was shot at. Tony said he and Ziva had been at the clinic the week before, for their ultrasound."

Mimi digested all of this. "Until you mentioned Tony and Ziva, I was beginning to think this had more to do with Tim and Abby."

"You can see our concern here. The third time was when we were in Florida, when this guy actually comes to our _home_. He had to know we were gone. I saw the security footage. He was concerned about being caught, but not by me."

Mimi looked upset. "The only males I work with directly are the Docs. I have a very good relationship with all of them and frankly I can't imagine any one of them being capable of such a terrible thing."

"And today, the first day back at work after our honeymoon, we get a murder."

"You're saying he would know you would be back. Whoever this is knows my schedule." Mimi started to shake. Gibbs quickly wrapped his arms around her.

"It's all speculation at this point. I don't want you to go into work and start acting suspicious of anyone, but I do want you to pay attention. And try to remember if there is anyone you can think of who may have a grudge against you. Or it could be all about me, or the team. It's not much, but it's the most we have right now."

_**Things are heating up with this mannequin case. And Ziva. What the frak? Thanks for the reviews, as usual. **_


	44. Chapter 44

_**Mimi looked upset. "The only males I work with directly are the Docs. I have a very good relationship with all of them and frankly I can't imagine any one of them being capable of such a terrible thing."**_

"_**And today, the first day back at work after our honeymoon, we get a murder."**_

"_**You're saying he would know you would be back. Whoever this is knows my schedule." Mimi started to shake. Gibbs quickly wrapped his arms around her.**_

"_**It's all speculation at this point. I don't want you to go into work and start acting suspicious of anyone, but I do want you to pay attention. And try to remember if there is anyone you can think of who may have a grudge against you. Or it could be all about me, or the team. It's not much, but it's the most we have right now."**_

MY, MY, MY…such interesting conjectures regarding the mannequin case. You may or may not be surprised, but I will leave you this crumb: it is NOT a previous character and it is NOT Sean…who could think such a thing!

Chapter Forty-Four: "Searching for Clues"

"What about Lily? They all know about Lily!" Mimi couldn't stop the tears. Gibbs tried to console her. "Unless this person knows where she is staying on campus, she is probably safer there than here. All the same, I think we should make sure, _as concerned parents_, that she is always aware of her surroundings and who is near her."

"She should be doing that anyway." Mimi retorted. "I've always taught her to make sure she was safe wherever she was, to park in well-lit areas, to not walk alone at night. She carries pepper spray." Gibbs nodded approvingly.

"Well, a little reinforcement won't hurt. I'll talk to Sean, again as a _concerned father_, that he is to make sure she is safe at all times when they are together."

Gibbs took another breath. "Ok, now that I've gotten that out of the way, I need you to check on Ziva."

"What?" Mimi almost shouted. "Is Ziva having problems? You should have told me that _first_, Jethro! The rest of this stuff could have waited. What happened?" She was running around gathering her things as she was speaking.

"I wasn't there when it happened, but she said she had one very painful contraction. I had Tony take her home." Gibbs was trying to stay out of the way of Hurricane Mimi. Mimi glared at him. "Take me there, now!"

Gibbs got his keys and walked her out to the car. Mimi was fuming, and Gibbs was shaking. They had never had a fight like this before. He hoped he hadn't blown things between them.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

He had barely put their car in park when Mimi was out of the car and flying up the front porch steps. Tony opened the front door and let her in. He waited patiently for Gibbs to wearily make his way inside.

"That rough, huh?" Tony asked sympathetically. "Tim called and told me he filled you in on what we found. I guess Mimi didn't take it too well."

"Ya' think, DiNozzo? Right now, she is more upset with me because I didn't tell her about Ziva first." Gibbs looked at little pale. Tony dragged him into the kitchen and handed him a beer. Gibbs grunted his thanks.

"How's Ziver? Anything else happen?"

Tony looked upstairs. "I put her in bed and she immediately went to sleep." He couldn't keep the worry out of his voice.

Gibbs looked around. "Where's Karina?"

Tony slapped his head. "Oh, my God! We left the baby at work!" At Gibbs' alarmed face, he smiled. "Just kidding, Boss, she's taking a nap."

He turned serious. "What did Mimi have to say?"

Gibbs took a long pull on his beer. "Disbelief. She couldn't imagine anyone she worked with being capable of doing the mannequin stuff and certainly not murder. Since we know the person with the mannequins is a male, she immediately denied any problems with any of the Doctors she worked with."

Gibbs drew circles on the table absently with his finger. "She did point out though, that even if she never talked about her boyfriend/fiancé/husband working at NCIS, it would be in Ziva's and Abby's files."

"Damn, hadn't thought of that." Tony said. He looked upstairs again.

Mimi entered Tony and Ziva's bedroom quietly, seeing Ziva was asleep. She sat down next to her and quietly spoke her name. Ziva's eyelids fluttered and opened wide when she saw Mimi smiling at her.

Ziva shifted and sat herself up so she could see Mimi better. "Hi." She said softly.

"Hi yourself. I heard you had a contraction today." Mimi was watching Ziva closely.

"It was just one, Mimi. Probably Braxton-Hicks."

Mimi smiled. "I heard it was quite painful. BH's don't hurt."

Ziva looked at Mimi, her eyes moist. "Everything has been going so well. I do not think I can stand for something to go wrong again."

"Well, let's make sure everything is ok, then." Mimi smiled reassuringly. She took Ziva's temperature, and blood pressure. She then listened to her heart and lungs.

"Blood pressure is good, unlike last time." Mimi chided her.

"Ok, let's listen to baby boy DiNozzo, shall we?" Mimi got out her portable ultrasound transducer and plopped some gel on Ziva's belly. She moved it around until she finally located the baby's heartbeat.

Ziva was watching Mimi closely, looking for any changes in her expression that indicated she didn't like what she was hearing, but Mimi looked at her and smiled. "Heart sounds good and strong. You're about at thirty weeks, so we still have a ways to go. Given your history, you may want to consider reducing your hours." Mimi started packing up her stuff.

"All the same, I want you to come in tomorrow for an ultrasound. You had a partial abruption last time. I just want to make sure everything is firmly in place. And take at least two days off, depending on what we see tomorrow."

She looked at Ziva's stricken face. "Hey, don't worry. It's better to be safe than sorry, right?" Mimi suddenly was struck by that statement, how it could apply to what Gibbs had been doing, to protect her.

"Stay in bed for the rest of the day, and then I will see you tomorrow in clinic." Mimi called and set up a time for Ziva while she was sitting there. "Ok, nine a.m. And you will have Tony call me if anything should happen during the night, right?"

Ziva sighed and nodded. "Ziva, I am sure everything is fine. Just take it easy for a bit. Pregnancy is no cakewalk, and you didn't have a whole lot of recovery time from you first. Your body is just telling you to slow down. It doesn't necessarily mean there is anything wrong."

Ziva tried to smile, but she was reassured by Mimi's confidence. "Ok, I thought I had been taking it easy, but…"

"But…you still have a demanding baby at home. I know Tony does his fair share, but he may need to do most of the caring for Karina until this little rascal pops out. Just think about it." Mimi said soothingly, when she saw how sad Ziva looked.

"Ok, let me go downstairs and report to our manly men, and get you something to eat. You look starved. Are you eating ok?" Mimi looked at Ziva, daring her.

"Yes, I have been eating, quite well thank you. I am sure when you weigh me tomorrow you will admonish me for gaining too much weight." Ziva complained.

"That's what I want to hear, sassy Ziva." She gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm sure Tony will be up as soon as I make my report."

Ziva smiled at "sassy Ziva". "Thank you, Mimi. You are…" Ziva stumbled a little bit, unable to finish.

"I know. See you later." Mimi left the room and headed downstairs.

Tony and Gibbs looked up as they heard her coming down the stairs.

"Well?" Tony asked, his voice breaking slightly.

Mimi smiled warmly at him. "Right now, everything looks good, but I'm having her come in tomorrow for an ultrasound just to be certain." She turned to her husband. "She needs to be off for a couple of days. And she may need to cut her hours."

"Why, I thought she was doing ok?" Tony asked.

Mimi looked at him thoughtfully. "Well, she is, Tony. But she had a very difficult pregnancy the first time, and not a lot of recovery time between that one and this one. There is always a concern when there is a history of partial abruption. I don't think that's what happened at this time, but she is more at risk than other pregnant women might be."

"Yeah, better safe than sorry." Tony murmured.

Mimi jerked at that. Gibbs noticed and tentatively placed his hand on her arm, not sure how receptive she was to his presence at the moment.

Mimi shook her head and smiled at her husband. "Just a moment of déjà vu." She covered Gibbs hand with hers and squeezed it, letting him know that all was well between them.

Gibbs hadn't realized he had been holding his breath, but the moment Mimi touched his hand, he felt the weight of the world lift off of him. He breathed in her scent, wondering for the gazillionth time if they had started a new little life that night.

Mimi had shown him pictures of her and Lily when she was a newborn. But she had adamantly refused to show him any pictures of her pregnant. "I looked like a cow." She complained, and Gibbs had smiled, remembering Shannon had said the same thing when she was carrying Kelly.

He tried now to envision her with a small baby bump, then a six-month belly, and then…

"Jethro! Hello, earth to Jethro!" Mimi was waving her hand in front of his eyes. "Where did you go? I thought for a moment I was going to have to call 911, except for this goofy grin you had on your face." She looked closely at him, when he accountably colored at her reveal.

"What in the world were you thinking about?"

"You." He answered simply. He didn't add _"and being pregnant"_ because he still wasn't sure if Mimi was all that thrilled at the possibility. The fact that she told him he had been smiling while he was thinking about it told him that he might actually be hoping it would happen.

Gibbs mentally slapped the back of his head for thinking this. _"You're too old to go through again. You're already getting a daughter and you're a grandpa for crissakes!"_

He didn't have too much time to dwell on these thoughts because as soon as he had said "You", Mimi had melted into his arms. He held her tightly, never wanting to let go of this wonderful woman who held his heart.

He was scared shitless that the case seemed to being including her, or at least her place of work. Even if the murder was not tied to the mannequin cases, the scalpel and intentional marker for NCIS made the case for the person responsible to be in the medical field or have access to surgical instruments. You can't just walk into a store and buy a scalpel. Or can you? He'd have to have Abby check on that.

Tony had gone upstairs to check on Ziva, and Gibbs' attention was drawn back to the present by hearing him come back down, holding Karina. "Papa! Momo!" She squealed in delight.

"Hey you little stinker, what have you been up to?" Gibbs held his granddaughter as she placed her hands on his face as she always does.

"Mommy, Daddy, baby." She said excitedly. Gibbs and Mimi looked at Tony, startled. Tony looked just as surprised, but shrugged it off.

"I don't thinks she gets it, she just remembers us saying 'baby' a lot lately."

"Baby!" Karina announced again, grinning.

"Where's your baby, Karina?" Mimi asked. Karina wiggled to get down and slowly toddled her way over to her small box that was in the family room. She retrieved her "baby" that Mimi had given her for Christmas, holding it upside down and banging it against the floor.

Gibbs and Mimi had to stifle laughs at that. "You better teach her the proper way to handle her 'baby' or she may just do that with Jr. there."

Tony grimaced. "He will not be Jr.!"

Gibbs nodded. He had forgotten how adamant Tony was about not naming his son after him. He watched Mimi take Karina over to the sofa to "instruct" her in the proper way to care for her baby doll.

"Any other names come up yet?" Gibbs asked, his eyes glued on Karina and Mimi.

"A few…" Tony was cagey.

Gibbs looked at him. "You've made a decision."

Tony looked surprised. "How can you know that? Oh well, it doesn't matter. Yes, we've have decided on the name, and no, I am not going to tell you or anyone else. Just have to wait until he's born."

Gibbs looked at Tony with amusement. "Hey, I'm not the one you need to worry about."

Tony chewed his lower lip. "Abby."

"Yep." Gibbs chuckled. "Although if they want the names they pick out to be a surprise, she really can't bug you about revealing yours and Ziva's choice."

"Yeah, I am actually worried about that. What if they pick out a name and it's the same one we picked? Since our son will be born first, I guess we get first dibs, but it would make me feel…I don't know…bad I guess, if they really liked the name and then didn't get to use it."

Gibbs regarded Tony. After the events of the past two years, he should not still be surprised when Tony showed maturity and concern for others over his own welfare. He was so proud of how far Tony had come.

"Well, maybe you and Tim should have a chat about it. To make sure. It won't hurt my feelings if he knows the name of your son before I do."

Tony eyed his Boss, his mentor, his…substitute Dad. "Maybe, I'll think about it." Tony watched his daughter playing with her doll, holding it gently and kissing it and talking to it. Suddenly, Mimi chuckled. She turned to Tony.

"Karina's tummy is growling. Are you starving your daughter?" Tony knew she was just teasing him, but he was horrified. He looked at the clock and realized it was past her dinner time.

"Oh, man! Ziva's gonna' kill me!" Tony started rushing around the kitchen, fixing Karina's dinner. Gibbs went over, picked her up and put her in her highchair. She started banging happily on the tray because she knew this meant yummy stuff was on the way.

"Speaking of Ziva, don't forget to feed your wife as well, and yourself." Mimi reminded him. Tony froze as he was pulling stuff out of the refrigerator.

Mimi just chuckled and patted his arm. "Relax. Tony. No one is going to starve. You're doing just great. I'll see you two tomorrow, ok?"

Tony grinned and gave Mimi a quick kiss on the cheek. "Ready for some dinner, Punkin?" Tony asked.

Gibbs and Mimi headed home, the atmosphere in the car 180 degrees from the previous ride. For whatever reason, Mimi had calmed down and was no longer angry. Gibbs decided he was not going to test Fate and ask her what had happened to change her attitude, and just be happy and grateful she was not angry any more.

**Walter Reed OB/GYN Clinic**

Mimi arrived at the clinic at eight a.m. Despite what Gibbs had told her, she couldn't help but look at her co-workers in a different light. She still didn't believe any of these professionals she worked with could possibly be involved, but the complex was big.

It may not be someone in her department, but someone who knew of her, and maybe her relationship with an NCIS Special Agent. She shook her head. That made absolutely no sense. The only people who knew anything for certain about her private life where senior staff and human resources.

Human Resources? She dismissed that idea. First of all, they were all women, and second, she hadn't even gone in yet to make any changes regarding her marriage to Jethro, so as far as she knew they didn't even know it yet.

That left someone from the medical staff, or maybe the support staff who were there daily and had access to the medical instruments. Mimi sighed and rubbed her head. This was giving her a headache, and she had patients to see, first of which were Tony and Ziva.

They were right on time and the tension was coming off of them in waves. They had dropped Karina off at daycare and worked about two hours, then came in. _"So much for taking it easy."_ Mimi thought of Ziva starting work at six a.m., but then they only needed to drive one car.

Mimi wasted no time, and soon they had Ziva all ready for the ultrasound. Mimi expertly moved the transducer around, taking measurements, showing them their baby's head and brain formation, the spinal cord and column, the limbs, the heart the stomach…whatever she could pick out, she told them about it.

She carefully checked the placental placement to the uterus, and did not find anything of concern. She finished up by printing up some photos. "Everything looks absolutely normal, and our little boy is developing right on schedule. I think you just maybe had a vicious kick that hit a nerve in your pelvis, to be honest. It's not unheard of to have an actual contraction this early, but as long as it was only the one, I am not concerned.

Tony and Ziva had been holding hands throughout the ultrasound and breathed a sigh of relief at the good news. Mimi turned to both of them. "Having said that, I do think you need to start doing less physical things, at work and at home. Tony, that means you are going to have to be the primary care giver for Karina for the duration. I know your schedule can suck, so I can pitch in when you are stuck at work."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other. "Mimi, I can't ask you to take over my responsibility." Tony cut in.

Mimi chuckled. "Oh, believe me, I have no intention of 'taking over'. But everyone can use a hand now and then. I often work at home, so you can even leave Karina with me instead of taking her to daycare if you know it will be a late night."

She turned to Ziva. "You will not be doing any late nights from this moment on. I'm not even sure I want you working full-time at this point, but we'll take it on a week by week basis. Your regular appointment is in two weeks. We can re-evaluate then to see if we need to make any serious adjustments to your hours."

She looked around, as if the room had ears. "I still can't believe that someone from my office could be responsible. I feel like I'm spying on everyone." She whispered.

Tony frowned. "Mimi, if it _is_ someone from here, the last thing you want to do is draw attention to yourself, that you suspect something. Just play it cool, ok?" Mimi nodded, hoping she could do that.

**NCIS**

Gibbs waited impatiently for Tony and Ziva to return from their clinic visit. He had convinced Mimi to provide him with the names of her male co-workers, much to her displeasure. She gave him the names of everyone, Doctors down to cleaning crew.

Tim and Abby were both running the names down to see if they matched any cases or if something else should show up that looked suspicious. The first name to set off an alarm was Dr. Brad Pitt. They all knew him from when Tony had contracted the plague.

"Why would he be on Mimi's list, Boss?" Tim asked. "He's a Pulmonologist and Infectious Diseases Doctor, not OB/GYN." Gibbs shrugged.

"Mimi knows him real well, and he was at the ED when Lily had her car accident, so he knows we are together." Tim looked thoughtful at that.

"You don't really suspect him, do you? According to Tony, he was a great guy." Gibbs looked at McGee. "Everyone's a suspect, McGee."

Tim sighed and continued his work. Tony and Ziva arrived and Gibbs walked over to them to speak to them privately. Tim tried not to eavesdrop, but he was concerned about Ziva as well. The smile on Gibbs face told him all he needed to know.

Tim quickly brought them up to speed, including their first "hit" being Dr. Brad Pitt. Tony shook his head. "No way. This dude saved my life. He's not out to get any of us."

"Sometimes it's the person you least suspect, DiNozzo." Gibbs said quietly. Tony remembered "Chip" the innocuous lab assistant that Abby insisted she didn't need who almost successfully framed Tony for murder.

And Gibb's and Vance's old boss, Former Special Agent Riley McAllister, who had tried to finish the job on Vance. He was there walking around in plain sight, and Tony sure as hell didn't figure it out. Gibbs and Vance did, though, which is what saved Vance in the end.

And Agent Lee. She had murdered Agent Langer, her own team mate, in cold blood to protect her cover as a mole. Even Ziva, during the Michael Rivken fiasco, had not been honest with them and had withheld vital information. Tony shook his head in disgust.

He couldn't lump Ziva in with that group. Besides, she was still with Mossad at the time. It must have been confusing for her, having two Agencies who expected her full allegiance. As wrong as he thought her actions were at the time, he didn't blame her. She acted as she had been trained. And she didn't kill anyone. He had.

Gibbs noticed Tony's change in demeanor. In fact, he looked like he was about to throw up. "What's up, DiNozzo? You look like you saw a ghost."

"Or about to have sympathy morning sickness." Tim chimed in, frowning.

"I just had a really, bad thought." Tony began. He looked at Ziva, then at Gibbs and McGee. "What if it is someone here? It wouldn't be the first time we've been targeted, or betrayed."

At the word "betrayed" Ziva sucked in her breath and got up and left. "Ziva!" Tony called after her. "Damn it!" He muttered under his breath, and rushed after her. He got to the elevator door before it closed and squeezed himself in. Once the car started, he hit the "stop" button.

"Why did you leave?" He asked, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"We have been betrayed before. Was that meant for me? How could you even bring that up, after all we've been through?" Ziva was shaking, she was so angry.

Tony put his arms on hers. "Ziva, calm down, if for no other reason than the baby, ok?" At that, she lost some of her anger, but she was still visibly upset. She took some deep breaths.

"Ok, first of all, I never thought you betrayed us back then. Yes, I thought you made some bad decisions, but that was a long time ago and how in the hell can you think I would accuse my wife and the mother of my children as being responsible for these crimes that are clearly being committed by someone with a screw loose?"

Ziva looked startled at that. "I never thought you were accusing me of what was happening now, I just didn't like being accused of betrayal."

Tony took a deep breath and continued to rub his hands up and down her arms. "I was referring to Agent Lee and what she did to Agent Langer. I was referring to Chip the Dip that almost got me thrown in jail for the rest of my life for a murder he framed me for."

Ziva had to smile when he said "Chip the Dip", and she had forgotten about that, and felt ashamed when she remembered how terrifying the case had been for Tony, even though he tried to show no concern. He knew he wasn't guilty, but he also knew the system didn't always work.

Tony touched his forehead against Ziva's. "All I was saying is that we have had incidents in our own "house". Look what happened to Vance when your father came back two years ago. That was internal and it was a betrayal."

Ziva slid her arms around his waist. "I am sorry I overreacted. I love you. I know you would never accuse me on anything, even if I _was_ guilty." Tony had to chuckle at that. He kissed her softly on the lips. "

"Damn straight, and don't you forget it. We've got each other's backs, and if it is someone in house, we need to be in tune with each other." Ziva nodded. "Are you ok now?" Tony asked gently.

"I am fine." She said. Tony narrowed his eyes at her, causing her to chuckle and caress his cheek. "No, really. I _am_ fine. Let's go back to work."

_**Thanks as always for the reviews and interest in this case. Guess all you want, I already have it written. Now, as to whether or not Gibbs and Mimi are pregnant? I'm going to let you decide. PM me with your choice, yes or no. Don't just put it in a review because anyone who can add yesses and no's will figure it out. **_


	45. Chapter 45

_**Tony touched his forehead against Ziva's. "All I was saying is that we have had incidents in our own "house". Look what happened to Vance when your father came back two years ago. That was internal and it was a betrayal."**_

_**Ziva slid her arms around his waist. "I am sorry I overreacted. I love you. I know you would never accuse me of anything, even if I was guilty." Tony had to chuckle at that. He kissed her softly on the lips. **_

"_**Damn straight, and don't you forget it. We've got each other's backs, and if it is someone in house, we need to be in tune with each other." Ziva nodded. "Are you ok now?" Tony asked gently. **_

"_**I am fine." She said. Tony narrowed his eyes at her, causing her to chuckle and caress his cheek. "No, really. I am fine. Let's go back to work."**_

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters.

Chapter Forty-Five: "An Unexpected Turn"

The only good news that happened that week was that Gibbs, Mimi, and Lily got a certified letter from the Adoption Court stating their hearing would be held in four weeks.

Lily was frustrated. "Why can't they just say yes? What's the hold-up?"

Gibbs put his arm around her and kissed her temple. "Hey, I'm sure we're not the only people looking for a hearing and besides, that lady said it could have been in six weeks, so I think we're pretty lucky."

Lily hugged him back. "Yeah, I guess so." She looked at around. "Where's Mom?"

Gibbs took a sip from his cup. "She's already headed into work. Some Executive Staff meeting or something. I'm heading in now. Don't you have a class today or something?"

Lily nodded. "I have a computer lab at 9 a.m. Oops! Better get going. Sean is teaching it and will pitch a fit if I'm late."

Gibbs looked at Lily amused. "It's only 6 a.m. Define 'pitch a fit'."

Lily blushed. "It's nothing really. Not that I take advantage or anything. It's just some of the others in the class know we are dating and it can be…"

"Uncomfortable?" Gibbs asked.

Lily shrugged. "If anything, Sean is tougher on me. But he knows I thrive on it, being pushed, so I can learn more. We're a lot alike in that respect." She looked a little sad.

"You know Sean graduates in the spring."

Gibbs knew that, but was concerned by her sadness. "Is that a problem?"

Lily looked away. "It is if he decides to go to Harvard." She turned back. "He's been accepted into their Ph.D. program for Computer Forensics." She wiped away a tear.

Gibbs felt a surge of paternal instinct soar in him. He engulfed Lily in a big hug. "I won't lie to you; long-distance relationships can be a bitch and they don't always work out." He pulled back and looked her in the eye.

"But if he _is_ committed to you, he will make sure to remain in your life; he will do whatever it takes. And _you_ will need to do the same. Lily, if you truly feel that Sean is the one, you need to accept that he may not always be right by your side."

Gibbs squeezed her shoulders. "Depending on where his career path lies, there may be times he is sent away on assignment. You need to recognize that now and start getting used to the idea."

Lily wiped her eyes. "I know, Daddy. And thank you. I love you."

"I love you too, Lily." Gibbs whispered. She gave him a quick hug and grabbed her things. "Can't have my teacher mad at me." She grinned and took off.

The other bad news regarded their victim, Marine Private Edward Gilson. His wife had a newborn, a baby boy born November 4th. This news was greeted with major concern and brought to the fore the possibility again of someone from the clinic being behind the mannequins and possibly the murder. But they discovered that his wife, Terri, had her own job and used her company's insurance. She was never seen in Mimi's clinic.

All they could do at this point was look at the members of Pvt. Gilson's unit and his friends, to see if any of them would have a reason to kill him; check out the wife (Tony's suspect _du jour_, but even _he_ had trouble with this one since she had a newborn); or none of the above.

This brought them to the reprehensible theory that whoever murdered the Marine was just a cold-blooded killer and he had been an unfortunate victim.

The only good news about _that _theory was maybe the same person who was behind the mannequins may _not_ have escalated his game. That brought some relief to Gibbs, and the rest of the team.

**NCIS**

The team had interviewed everyone in Pvt. Gilson's unit, and found two men whose wives had recently miscarried: Pvt. Everett Peirson and Pvt. Wilson Carr. Both of their wives had been seen in Mimi's clinic, so that did again bring the focus back, but both named other Nurse Practitioner's as having been their wives' caregiver.

They could not get the clinic's medical records of the Private's spouses because they did not have enough evidence to bring charges and they did not have probable cause. All they had was a theory, and a rough one at that.

But that planted the seed that now instead of a co-worker, could the mannequin person be a patient of Mimi's? Could this actually be about Mimi and not the team? Gibbs called Mimi. He was relieved when she answered her phone. "Hey, how are you doing?" He was disturbed that she sounded upset.

Mimi sighed. "Not good. We just finished up our meeting and I learned that one of my patients died while we were on our honeymoon." She took a deep breath. "And it makes me so angry! This did _not_ have to happen. I told them to wait, because of what happened with their first pregnancy, but _he_ wouldn't listen." Mimi's choke back a sob.

"So instead of waiting until it was safe for his wife, his ego demanded they have another baby right away. And what did he get for it? He lost both of them, his wife _and_ his child."

Gibbs' head was ringing alarm bells. "Mimi, what is this guy's name?"

Mimi shook her head. "You know I can't tell you that; _Patient Confidentiality_? Wait, hang on a sec." Gibbs could tell that Mimi had covered her phone and could hear muffled voices in the background. She came back on. "Jethro, I need to go, we have another emergency patient. I'll talk to you later. Love you, Bye!"

"Mimi!" Mimi hung up before Gibbs could get her attention. He started to dial her again when his desk phone rang. "Gibbs. Ok, we're on our way." He hung up. "Gear up, dead Marine."

They all looked at one another and quickly grabbed their gear. "This is looking familiar." Tony said quietly. They were back at the waterfront in Old Town Alexandria. They could see against the wall a body in a Marine Utility uniform, face down; the same wall where Pvt. Gilson had been found.

Gibbs frowned. There was no one around. "Who called this in? Where are the witnesses or at least the person who found the body?"

"Anonymous caller, Boss?" Tim suggested.

They slowly made their way over to the body. Grimly, Gibbs looked down. "It's a woman." He said quietly.

Tony and Tim looked at each other. They slowly bent down to get a better look. Tony tensed. "Boss, it's a mannequin."

"Shit! Turn it over!" Gibbs all but yelled. When Tony and Tim flipped the mannequin over, they stood and looked down in horror.

The female mannequin's abdomen was ripped out and covered in blood. A baby doll, also covered in blood, was hanging from the ripped opening.

Gibbs frantically pulled out his cell. Tony looked at Gibbs, worried about Ziva. He looked at Tim and he could tell he was thinking the same thing about Abby.

"Dammit!" Gibbs slammed his phone closed. "Mimi isn't answering." He remembered she said they had an emergency patient come in. "Ok, let's get this back to NCIS. Find out if this is real blood or not. And I guess our question about whether or not our mannequin guy has escalated to murder, has been answered."

No one spoke as they bundled up the mannequins in a body bag. A sweep of the area didn't reveal any other evidence. In grim silence, they went back to the Navy Yard.

Ducky and Jimmy were distressed to see it was another mannequin and were sickened by this new graphic display. A blood sample was sent to Abby for analysis. Within an hour she had an answer, and it wasn't good.

**Abby's Lab**

Just as she was about to call Gibbs, he showed up as usual with a Caf-Pow. "Gibbs! I have bad news. Really, really, really bad news. The worst news, the…"

"The worst…I get it, Abbs. What is?"

"Gibbs, the blood on the mannequins? It's Pvt. Gilson's! Gibbs, this mannequin guy killed Pvt. Gilson, or at least was an accessory to have his blood. Gibbs if he was able to kill a member of his own unit…" Gibbs looked at Abby, knowing where her logic was heading and trying to think of a comforting response, when his cell rang.

**Bullpen**

Tim was sitting at his computer when he saw the newsfeed scroll across the bottom of his monitor.

He picked up his phone and called Gibbs. "Boss! You need to get up here, now!" He said so loudly and forcefully that the entire room looked up. Tim looked pale as he put the ZNN report on the screen.

It was still just a scroll at the bottom of the screen, the announcers talking inanely about the continuing poor financial situation of the U.S.

"_ZNN Special Report: Hostages being held at Walter Reed National Naval Medical Center; No further information regarding person or persons responsible or where the hostages are at this moment. Stay tuned for further developments."_

Gibbs bolted out of the elevator and stood in front of the plasma. As the News Alert ran again, he read as far as "Hostages at Walter Reed" and pulled out his cell. "Come on, come on, come on…" He said, trying to keep his emotions under control.

"Gibbs, is Mimi in clinic today?" Ziva asked, frightened.

"She's not answering." He said quietly. Just then his phone rang. "Gibbs." He answered.

"Daddy?" Lily was in tears.

"Lily, have you talked to your mom in the last hour?" Gibbs asked urgently.

He could hear her crying. "No. We talked this morning; we were going to meet for lunch. I got here and there are police all over the place. Have you talked to Mommy? Why aren't you here?"

Gibbs closed his eyes. "We're on our way." He ended the phone call. "Gear up, I'm going to go fill in the Director." He headed for the stairs and saw Vance heading down to the team.

"Gibbs, I just spoke to Metro police. From witness reports, a Marine Private has taken over an office, demands unknown. He walked in past the patients in the waiting room and went right into the clinical area. Several shots were heard, and the patients all ran. One of the patients recognized the gunman, Private Wilson Carr."

The team looked at each other. "He was one of the Privates we spoke to about Pvt. Gilson. He denied that his wife saw Mimi." Tony said.

"Yeah? Well, maybe he lied!" Gibbs snapped. "Why else for the mannequins? Especially the one at my home? The home _Mimi_ and I live at?"

"What office, Director?" Gibbs looked Leon in the eye, begging him to tell him it was any office other than the one he was concerned about.

Vance sighed. "OB/GYN Clinic. I'm sorry, Gibbs. Your team can go out, but because of your personal involvement, we're letting the FBI handle this."

Gibbs started to protest, but Vance cut him off. "They have trained Hostage Negotiators, Gibbs. Until we find out what this is about, our hands are tied, and I am not going to let an emotional MRCT bust into the place with guns blazing. Do we understand each other?"

Gibbs looked into his Director's eyes, and nodded. "We'll be there as back-up." Vance grabbed Gibbs' arm, knowing what he was feeling right now.

He and Mimi were barely married. "We're going to get her out, Boss. Mimi's going to be fine." Tony had come to stand next to him.

Gibbs looked at his team, seeing the sorrow but also seeing the anger. No matter the outcome, Pvt. Carr would not get away with what he was doing.

Getting his wits back, he barked orders. "Ok, Private Carr is targeting Mimi's clinic. I want the medical records of his wife, NOW!"

Ziva had remained at her desk through all of this as it was easier to stay behind her desk than get up and down constantly.

She picked up the phone and called the Medical Center, identifying herself and asking about medical records. After getting a lecture about patient confidentiality and HIPAA rules, she blew her top.

"Are you not aware there is a hostage situation at your facility, as we speak? We need to have the records of the wife of Pvt. Wilson Carr. We know she was seen in the OB/GYN clinic, and we know that is where Pvt. Carr is right now, _holding hostages_. If you cannot or will not help me, I suggest you put me in touch with someone who can and will!" Ziva yelled into the phone.

Tony rubbed her shoulders. "Calm down, Ziva." He knelt beside her and stroked her hair. "We will get Mimi and we will get him. Take care of yourself and our baby, ok?"

Ziva looked at Tony, her anger dissipating at each word he spoke. Her shoulders slumped, knowing he was right. Just then, her phone rang.

"Yes, Special Agent David, NCIS."

"Agent David, I have been instructed by FBI Special Agent in Charge Fornell to provide you with the information you require. Our medical records are electronic. I will send you all of the records we have for both Pvt. Wilson Carr and his wife Erica Carr. You will receive them in an encrypted file. The password to open the file is "XOP7534."

"Thank you." Ziva gave her email address and waited. She opened her email, found the file and opened it up, using the password. She pressed a few more keys, and the complete medical history of Pvt. Carr and his wife was up on the plasma.

There was a lot to look at. "See if you can isolate and see when they were at the clinic." Gibbs ordered, his voice anxious.

"I'll do it." Tim quickly went to his desk. After a few key strokes, the records of Erica Carr's visits to the OB/GYN clinic were the only ones on the big screen.

Tim stayed at his computer, to organize by date. "Boss, it looks like they first went in on August 21st. It is listed as the first prenatal visit, but from the notes, it looks like Erica Carr may have already been several months pregnant by then."

He looked closer at his computer and hit a key. An image came up on the plasma that was not very pretty to look at. Ziva struggled to get up to head toward the bathroom, but could not make it.

Tony got to her before she lost it, and rubbed her back as she retched into the waste paper basket.

Tim gulped and looked like he was about to be sick as well. "They did an ultrasound and this…"

"What are we looking at here, Tim?" Gibbs asked quietly.

Tim read further. "According to the diagnosis on her medical record, the condition is referred to as Anencephaly, Boss."

Gibbs didn't need to look the term up to find out what it meant, he could see it with his own eyes.

"Take it down, Tim." Tony said quietly.

"Oh, sorry." Tim quickly made the images disappear. He continued to read the notes. He hit another button.

"Mimi saw them that day. Her notes indicate their grief at the diagnosis and what to expect next. She suggested genetic counseling. She also wrote a note to herself: 'Pvt. Carr is in denial, does not accept or believe diagnosis despite ultrasound evidence'."

Gibbs went and sat down. Pvt. Carr had lied when they spoke to him. He had said he and his wife had seen a Nurse Practitioner that was not Mimi. Gibbs had hoped it was just a case of being in the wrong place and the wrong time, but now his gut and Erica Carr's chart was telling him another story.

Tim continued. "Next visit was September 15th. Hey that was the day after our wedding. Didn't you say Mimi had an emergency delivery or something?"

Gibbs stood up again. "Yeah, that's why she couldn't come with me to take you and Abby to the airport."

Tim read the notes and nodded his head. "Well, it wasn't exactly a delivery, it was a miscarriage, and Mrs. Carr required a surgical procedure as well." Tim looked at Tony, who was still looking after Ziva.

"Tony, take Ziva anywhere but here for now." Gibbs said gently. Tony nodded and took a compliant Ziva downstairs to sit with Abby, who was probably freaking out just a much.

By the time he got back up, Tim had up the next visit the couple made to the clinic on October 28, 2013.

"Wait! Ziva and I were there that day. That's the day we had our ultrasound." Tony's face looked grim.

Tim pulled up the timeline they had done for the mannequin cases. They could now see the correlation between the office visits and the mannequins showing up.

"The first two mannequin cases occurred a week after their clinic visits. Tim, what happened on the October visit?" Gibbs was focused on the plasma.

Tim scanned the notes. "It looks like it was a routine post-op visit. Mimi writes that Pvt. Carr asked about starting right away on another baby. Mimi advised waiting six months to give Erica Carr time to heal."

He looked closer. "Again, Mimi wrote a note to herself. 'Erica Carr relieved she is healing well, and at the suggestion of waiting at least six months or longer before trying again. Pvt. Carr is very unhappy at the restriction.' She ends her notes by saying she discussed the slim odds of a second baby having the same condition as the first." Tim looked up at Gibbs, who frankly looked confused.

"Ok, he is upset, understandably so, about the loss of the first baby, and isn't happy he has to wait to start again. Why would this make him target us? I mean, this is tragic, but certainly not Mimi's fault."

He looked at Tony and Tim. "Somehow he must have overheard her talking to me, or mentioning NCIS, and you said, Tony that you and Ziva were there on one of their visits. He must have figured out our relationships, but I still don't get why he would target the people Mimi loves because…" He couldn't finish the thought for it made no sense to him.

"Boss, I think Mimi recognized that he was not handling this situation well, hence her additional notes regarding his reactions, and suggesting counseling. But she clearly didn't see him as a threat to any one, and certainly not to her; otherwise I am sure she would have alerted someone." Tim suggested, meaning "us".

"And why the one over Thanksgiving, at our home? Did they come in again in November?" Gibbs stood by Tim's desk.

Tim searched. "I don't see a visit. Wait, phone call from Pvt. Carr on November 25th." Tim put up the note. "_Pvt. Carr called and asked to speak to Mimi Allen, WHNP-BC. Informed out of town for the holidays. Said he would call when she returned. Would not give reason for call, and did not wish to speak to staff on duty._"

"He knew Mimi was out of town, but how would he know you were going too? Unless whoever he was talking to said more than what was written in the notes?" Tim looked surprised. "He was taking a big chance on you catching him if he didn't know."

"Then he _must_ have known, McGee. Maybe he'd been watching the house; maybe he saw _us_ take Gibbs to the airport." Tony was angry.

"Any more visits?" Tony barked.

"Just one more." Tim pulled it up and gasped. He looked up quickly at Gibbs and Tony.

"January third. He brought his wife in, bleeding heavily. He should have taken her to the ED, but brought her to the clinic. She was pregnant again and…and it looks like she miscarried. The blood loss was too much, she…Erica Carr and the baby died, Boss."

"Dammit!" Gibbs said, rubbing his face. "So they don't wait the six months that Mimi instructed them to, she gets pregnant again too soon for her body to have healed and she and the baby ends up dead."

He suddenly realized this must have been the patient Mimi had been talking about when he spoke to her earlier; the one she was angry about because _he_ wouldn't listen. _He_ now had a name, which Mimi wouldn't give him.

He looked at Tim. "We were still on our honeymoon when this happened. Mimi wasn't there that day."

"No. But the notes state he asked about her, and wanted to know when she would be in again." Tim was reading from his monitor.

"And they told him?" Tony was incredulous.

"The notes don't say. Someone else could have given him the information, especially if he gave some plausible reason such as to come and thank her for taking care of his wife." Tim replied.

"How could he sit through our questioning about Pvt. Gilson's murder without showing the emotion and grief of just having lost his wife and child? How did we not pick up on that?" Gibbs slammed his chair against his desk.

Gibbs was pissed. How this Marine could act like nothing could have happened when he had lost his whole world less than a week before was incomprehensible.

Tony opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He felt like crying, remembering how he felt when they thought they were going to lose Karina. Losing Ziva as well had not even been a consideration, but now he realized that it could have very well happened.

Grief can do strange things to a person. He still didn't understand the whole mannequin thing, except that maybe Pvt. Carr felt it gave him something that he felt only he had control over, since everything else seemed beyond his control- when and where to put the mannequins.

But Tony understood that Gibbs knew all too well the pain of losing a wife and child, and had experienced the primal need for revenge. He had murdered in cold blood the person responsible, Pedro Hernandez, for taking his family, and others had paid dearly for that act.

He thought of Lara Macy, and the threat against Jackson. Even Abby had been threatened by Alejandro Rivera, albeit in a very subtle and improvable way. Mike Franks' family had been targeted, and it was only after Gibbs had searched for the missing Franks that had it been discovered that Alejandro and Paloma Reynosa were siblings and the children of Hernandez.

As he watched Gibbs' face, Tony feared that he may be about to pay the consequences of that action, again. Sure, this wasn't about Hernandez, but even though Tony didn't like to broadcast his private views about things, he _did_ believe in Fate (after all, how else could he explain him and Ziva)?

He believed in "what goes around comes around" (and he would deny _that_ until his dying breath) and he also didn't believe it only "came around" once. Actions had consequences, and although that particular threat seemed to have run its course, there would always be another "Pedro Hernandez" that would rear its ugly head and cause the team a world of pain.

Private Carr was seeking revenge against those he believed to be responsible for the death of his family. The fact that he was responsible was lost of him. _Grief can do strange things to a person._ And the person at the center of it all was Mimi.

As Gibbs ran upstairs to fill in Vance, and by extension, Fornell what they had found out, Tony and Tim gravitated toward each other, staring at the Plasma.

_**I only gave you one real clue, the emergency delivery Mimi had to go to when Tim and Abby left for San Diego. So, I would be surprised if anyone actually figured out it was about Mimi and not the team. Thanks for the PM's and the results are in. Stay tuned…**_


	46. Chapter 46

_**As he watched Gibbs' face, Tony feared that he may be about to pay the consequences of that action, again. Sure, this wasn't about Hernandez, but even though Tony didn't like to broadcast his private views about things, he did believe in Fate (after all, how else could he explain him and Ziva)?**_

_**He believed in "what goes around comes around" (and he would deny that until his dying breath) and he also didn't believe it only "came around" once. Actions had consequences, and although that particular threat seemed to have run its course, there would always be another "Pedro Hernandez" that would rear its ugly head and cause the team a world of pain.**_

_**Private Carr was seeking revenge against those he believed to be responsible for the death of his family. The fact that he was responsible was lost of him. Grief can do strange things to a person. And the person at the center of it all was Mimi.**_

_**As Gibbs ran upstairs to fill in Vance, and by extension, Fornell what they had found out, Tony and Tim gravitated toward each other, staring at the Plasma. **_

Chapter Forty-Six: "Hostage"

**Walter Reed Naval National Medical Center, Women's Health Clinic**

"You! It's all your fault!" The Marine Private screamed. "You didn't save our baby! You didn't save my wife! And you didn't care!"

Mimi cowered with the other staff in the small room Private Carr had herded them.

She remembered their appointment in August, when she had to tell them the heartbreaking news that their baby had multiple anomalies and would not survive to term.

His wife, Erica was devastated, but had accepted the news. Her husband, Private Wilson Carr, had refused and insisted she had to be wrong.

Even when she showed him the ultrasound photos showing the glaring abnormalities: the misshapen skull, the lack of a cerebrum, the medical term being _Anencephaly- "without brain"._

The "emergency delivery" she had to attend to, that prevented her from seeing Tim and Abby off on their honeymoon had been the miscarriage of this child.

Private Carr had been inconsolable, convinced that time would fix things and their baby would be fine. His wife, although grief stricken; was somewhat relieved that their ordeal was finally over.

Mimi searched her memory if she had made any mention of NCIS in front of this couple. She may have mentioned missing seeing Abby and Tim off at the airport to go on their honeymoon. She may have mentioned how Ziva and Tony were doing with the second pregnancy. Maybe she mentioned Jethro. Perhaps he had overheard.

The next week, after Tim and Abby had returned from their honeymoon and saw her in the clinic to find out if they were pregnant, the team had been called out for a dead sailor; a dead sailor that was actually a mannequin. Jethro had mentioned it in passing, but didn't say much else about it. She didn't give it a second thought.

Then in November they were called out again, this time for the sighting of a dead Marine who also ended up being a mannequin. This time however, someone had taken a shot at Tim, or at least at the team.

Mimi wracked her brain, trying to remember if this couple had returned to the clinic any time before that second incident, and realized that they _had_ come in, about a week before.

They wanted to try again, and Mimi had advised against it so soon. She tried to explain that a miscarriage causes damage and the D&C that had to be done was surgery and Erica needed time to heal. Since she had been almost five months pregnant, it had been a devastating and extremely dangerous procedure.

She recommended that they wait at least six months, preferably longer before trying again. She was positive with them, explaining that their first baby's condition was extremely rare and the odds of another baby having the same condition just as rare.

She also suddenly realized that Tony and Ziva had been there that day for their sixteen week ultrasound. She knew she talked to them about getting together later, so if Private Carr had been in listening distance, he would know that they were personal friends as well as patients.

She tried to remember if they were wearing anything that had NCIS on it that day and realized Tony had his badge on. She also realized that it was soon after this visit that Jethro had an alarm system installed in their home, and made her take shooting lessons.

She looked into the face of the man who had been targeting her husband and their family. They had been convinced it had to be someone _they _had done something to, that it was related to NCIS.

Then they were concerned it may be one of her co-workers who again, had a grudge against one of the team, or NCIS in general, especially after the mannequin that had shown up at their home; the one she had just learned about. But the reality was it was _she_ who was the target.

She had done nothing wrong. But this young man for some reason blamed _her_ for the birth defects and death of his first child; for not agreeing with him to try again so soon; and for not listening to her advice, and now for the loss of both his wife and second unborn child.

He had taken all of their cell phones, so she could not call Jethro. She pressed her back into the wall she sat against, knowing her co-workers were being held hostage because of her.

**Two Hours Earlier**

Private Wilson Carr parked his car in the now familiar patient/family lot at Walter Reed Naval National Medical Center. He had just completed the funeral arrangements for his wife and son two days before. He sat motionless in his car, his mind still unable to comprehend what had happened.

The happiness of Private Gilson and his wife, and then his own personal loss was the final act that put him over the edge. If he couldn't have his own child, then neither would Pvt. Gilson. Small mercies may be said that he didn't kill the entire family; or just the wife and baby to mirror his own tragedy.

He didn't dwell on whether he thought he was justified or merciful in any respect. All he felt was anger and grief and the complete _unfairness_ of it all. He smirked as he felt pride, how he had held it together when he was questioned by those NCIS agents. They suspected nothing.

He had worked hard, and loved his wife. He was a good Marine. Why had this happened to him? Why were those others so happy and fortunate, while he suffered the _humiliation_, the _punishment_, of fathering a deformed child, and then never seeing a child, _his _child, born?

At first, he was only upset. He knew that nurse, Ms. Allen, was only trying to help. But after telling him and Erica their devastating news, as they were checking out, he could see her laughing on the phone to someone. How could she just be so happy, that quickly after telling her patient that _their_ world was full of sorrow?

And then there was that awful day, when they lost their daughter. He overheard her mention to one of the doctors that she missed taking "their" newlywed friends to the airport for their honeymoon. She didn't say it with any rancor in her voice, but he still took offense. Like, how _inconvenienced_ she was to have to come in to help his wife, when she had better things to do.

The Doctor had laughed and asked if her NCIS Special Agent had to do it on his own. She just chuckled and said "Jethro" would be fine. The common sense part of him told him that Doctors and Nurses couldn't get caught up in the tragedies of their patients. Otherwise they would all be basket-cases unable to function and do their jobs.

But common sense was thrown out the window when it was your loved one who suffered. He resented them going on about their lives when his had just been crushed.

He got the idea of the mannequins from an old "Twilight Zone" episode, when once a month, one of the store mannequins got to live the life of a real person. It was creepy thinking about someone walking around that maybe wasn't a real person, and the episode had given him nightmares.

He didn't want to hurt anyone, but he was angry. So he decided to play with NCIS. He knew who they were and what Special Agents did. He didn't know the odds that this "Jethro" would be the one to be called out, but he would certainly hear about it.

He had been in the crowd when the first mannequin had been discovered and the team called out. He took careful notice of the Special Agents working the scene. He was sure he heard the older man, the one who took the "body" refer to one of them as "Jethro" and he seemed to be the one in charge.

When he and Erica went back for their post-op visit, Ms. Allen had been kind and supportive, except when it came to trying again to start a family. She insisted that they wait, at least six-months. That made no sense to him, no matter what she said.

Women had babies all the time. It wasn't an illness or disease; it was a natural part of life. He didn't believe her. He began to suspect that she was trying to prevent them from becoming parents. Of'course, he didn't take her advice. As soon as it was no longer painful for Erica, he had initiated intimacy again, even before they had their post-op appointment.

Erica couldn't use birth control pills; he didn't know why and didn't care. He used condoms and cut the ends off. Erica didn't know; she never liked that part and he always put the condom on himself.

And he remembered seeing one of those Agents he saw at the crime scene, with his wife leaving before he and Erica were called back. Mimi had walked them out and was very friendly and familiar with them. This made sense if that man worked with her…whatever "Jethro" was to her. And this Agent's wife was pregnant. She had called them "Tony" and "Ziva" and had said she would she see them later.

After he took Erica home, he went back to the clinic and followed Mimi when she left the clinic. For the next few nights, he watched her house. He saw "Jethro" and he saw "Tony" and "Ziva" with a baby and a dog. He took a chance and walked around the block. As he was walking, he saw the other Agent from the crime scene pull up in his driveway.

He watched him help his wife carry stuff into their home, bags from Baby's-R-Us. He supposed they could have been for the other couple, but the way the Agent was hovering over his wife, he suspected that she was the one they got the gifts for, her and _their_ baby.

He waited patiently and watched "Tony" and "Ziva" walk their little family home. They all lived within blocks of each other. How convenient- they could all live their special charmed lives in their own little world.

So he planted the second mannequin and this time took a pot-shot at them. He wasn't trying to kill anyone, just scare them a bit, and let them know that their precious world wasn't all cozy and safe. By this time, Erica had missed her period, although they hadn't been regular since what had happened in September.

Wilson had swelled with pride. What a man he was! He probably got Erica pregnant the first time. What did that nurse know? There had been no reason to wait; she was able to get pregnant right away. That was the other purpose of the second mannequin; to crow about his sexual prowess.

Erica was upset and wanted to call the clinic right away, but Wilson had convinced her to wait. She had always deferred to him. She was young, they were both young. He was her big Marine, and he would always look out for her the way he thought best. Erica knew this and that was why she loved him.

He did decide to call the clinic later in November, when Erica was having bad morning sickness, but Ms. Allen was out of town. Unavailable to their needs, again. Putting herself above her patients, again. He didn't know if "Jethro" would be with her, but he decided it was worth the risk.

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, he pulled off his daring feat- planting the mannequin on their deck and putting the black ribbons on the door knobs of the other Agents. He laughed at how he was able to outrun these "old" guys. He was twenty-one and strong. He was a Marine!

Erica seemed to be doing well during December, so he decided to relax and enjoy their new found happiness. Erica still kept asking when their appointment was. Wilson told her the clinic had been booked and their first appointment would be in January.

He wanted to wait, to be sure, so he could rub it in Ms. Allen's face. But then it all went wrong. Erica started bleeding and he told her it would be ok, it would stop. He put her to bed, and made her stay still. By the morning, the bleeding had become a hemorrhage, and Erica was not responding to him.

He drove her to the clinic. He expected Ms. Allen to be there, but again, she was off enjoying herself. This time she was on her honeymoon. He couldn't believe it! She wasn't there for them, when they needed her most. He asked when she would be back, and the receptionist said she would be back next week.

Erica would have been twenty in two months. Now, he was alone. He reported to duty as usual on Monday, not saying anything, but then that arrogant Gilson kept boasting how his two-month old was already "talking". How stupid was that?

He didn't know him well, but he knew he always did a lunch run down to National Harbor to get a sandwich from Potbelly's. He followed him and then "accidently" bumped into him. Using the excuse that his car wouldn't start, he asked for a ride back to Joint AFB-Bolling. It was easy after that.

Old Town Alexandria was not as busy during the week day and it was really cold on Monday. He found the deserted area in the warehouse district and dumped the idiot's body.

He had been very careful, not letting any drop of blood fall somewhere unintended. He would need it for later. He was proud that he had been able to slip that scalpel into his pocket, when they had allowed him to see Erica.

Gilson was a wimp once he was overpowered. He actually cried, asking for mercy, for his wife and baby's sake. Well, that's what Carr guessed he was saying, since his mouth was covered with duct tape.

He placed the body, and positioned the hand. He knew where NCIS was, and tracking was a specialty of his. He had many maps and knew exactly the direction to point Gilson's finger.

He got back to work only ten minutes late, enjoying the last bites of Pvt. Gilson's sandwich. He looked mildly surprised when the Lieutenant asked if anyone had seen Gilson, and acted appropriately horrified when the unit was informed his body had been found.

He had secretly enjoyed the face to face meeting with these NCIS Special Agents, when they came on base to question the members of Gilson's unit. He was honest with them about the September miscarriage, but he had already shut down what had happened that last Friday, and it was easy to pretend it had never happened.

He had Erica and the baby cremated and kept them with him. Her parents were deceased and she was an only child. He felt no obligation to notify her extended family as they hardly ever heard from them anyway.

His own family was of'course upset and concerned for him, but he told them the Corp was taking good care of him. He didn't want a funeral and there was no need for them to travel from Nevada to DC.

Finally taking a deep breath, he got out of his car. He quickly placed a call to NCIS. "Oh my God! I just saw a Marine in Old Town, lying on the ground by the warehouses. No, I'm too afraid to go check. What if whoever hurt them is still around? I'm getting out of here. Just get someone there, quick!"

He closed his phone and entered the building. He had a badge showing him as part of the Security Force, so there was no question about him having his service weapon. It was so easy.

He walked into the clinic and walked right into the treatment area and drew his weapon. One of the doctors saw him and ran down the hall, toward him. He fired his weapon into the floor, at the feet of the doctor, then another shot when a door opened and someone peeked out.

"Take me to Ms. Allen." He told the doctor. He raised the gun to his head. The doctor paled and nodded nervously. The MD considered trying to catch the Private off-guard, but Pvt. Carr knew all the moves and anticipated he would try something.

"Do that again and I will kill you!" He whispered into the doctor's ear, taking him by the arm.

**Walter Reed Naval National Medical Center- FBI Command Center**

Gibbs located Fornell rather quickly once the team finally arrived at Walter Reed. He sent Tony in search of Lily while Fornell brought him up to date.

"We have a team in the clinic waiting room, and hallway of the treatment area. Private Carr has approximately eight hostages in one of the exam rooms, including Mimi. Sorry, Jethro."

Gibbs' eyes took on that steely flint when he was trying not to let his emotions over power him.

He nodded, letting Fornell know that he heard him. "Has he made any demands?"

Fornell shook his head. "Jethro, based on what you sent over and told me, this would seem to be about avenging the death of his wife and unborn child. What could he possibly ask for that would take their place?"

"You think he's going to kill Mimi." Gibbs' voice was flat.

"Jethro, listen to me." Fornell guided Gibbs over to a private area. "We have eyes and ears everywhere. We will introduce nitrous oxide into the room if the Hostage Negotiator doesn't get anywhere with him."

Gibbs shook his head. "He'll feel the effect before he's out. He'll know what we're doing. He'll start shooting."

"It's a chance we may have to take, Jethro." Tobias looked closely at his friend.

Gibbs looked around. "Tobias, what kind of effect can this gas have on pregnancy?" The question surprised Fornell. He smiled wryly.

"Is this a personal question, Jethro?" He asked, now realizing that maybe it wasn't so amusing after all.

"That's a clinic where pregnant women are, Fornell. Do we know if any patients are hostages? And yes, it's a personal question." Gibbs glared at Fornell, telling him this was for their ears only.

Fornell looked quietly at Gibbs then let out a piercing whistle. An FBI Agent came rushing over. "I need to talk to someone on HRT, now!"

Fornell was handed a walkie. "This is Fornell. I need to know what dangers this drug has on pregnant women." The responding voice came through with a lot of static.

"Nitrous oxide is an anesthetic. It used to be used all the time in deliveries. The amount needed to knock someone out is not a lot. Is one of the hostages pregnant?"

Fornell looked at Gibbs, who just shrugged. "Possibly. We want to make sure if we resort to this you get in there immediately and subdue the suspect. I want minimal exposure to the hostages."

"Hopefully it won't come to that, Agent Fornell. But I read you. Over and out." Tobias looked at Gibbs. "That's all I can tell you."

Gibbs nodded. He looked over at Tim, who was with Tony and Lily. He strode over to his daughter. "Daddy!" Lily launched herself at him.

"Shhh…Mommy's going to be fine. I promise you." Gibbs murmured into her hair.

"You can't promise that, I'm not a child!" Lily screamed. Gibbs grabbed Lily's face.

"You're right. I can't. But I can promise you that everything is being done to make sure your mom and everyone else in there gets out safely and this guy is brought down."

"Tim, take Lily back to NCIS. She can wait with Ziva and Abby. I'm sure they would want her there."

"No, No! I want to stay here, I need to be here." Lily shook Gibbs' arm. "Daddy, please…don't make me leave." Gibbs' heart broke as he saw the huge tears streak Lily's face. But he knew this was no place for her.

He shook his head. "I know you're an adult, Lily but I am asking you to trust me as your father that I know where the best place for you to be right now and it isn't here." Gibbs searched her face, hoping for acquiescence.

She looked into his deep blue eyes, so like her mother's and her own. She did trust him, and he was her father. She slowly nodded her head and Tim came up beside her and put his arm around her waist.

"Come on, Lily. We'll call Abby from the car. You know how she gets. She's going to need you to keep her calm." Gibbs smiled at McGee, putting Lily in charge of Abby. It gave her a sense of purpose and something to keep her occupied. He watched them walk away, the sorrow in his heart replaced by a new resolve to get his wife out alive.

**Women's Health Clinic**

Mimi looked at her co-workers, all on the floor like she was. Pvt. Carr had forced them to sit on their hands, making it impossible for any of them to make a sudden move that he couldn't deflect. She knew there had to be someone, probably FBI, out there by now.

She was angry he had pulled her away from her emergency patient. She needed immediate care but all he cared about was getting her into this room. Mimi hoped someone had been able to stop her bleeding. She hated to think that another two lives may have been lost because of this man's actions.

She looked again at her fellow hostages: Two doctors, four nurses and one OR assistant. All of them were good people, who didn't deserve to be held hostage and certainly didn't deserve to die. She couldn't allow anything to happen to them, if it was in her power to prevent it. She looked at their captor.

"Pvt. Carr, please. It's me you are angry with. The others have done nothing to you. Please let them go. Please. Erica would not want you to hurt them."

He had looked at her as she spoke to him, and knew she was right, but when she mentioned Erica, his anger flared. "What do you know about Erica and what she wanted? You cared _nothing_ for her! She was just another patient in your assembly line. You didn't know her. You can't speak for her!" He screamed, waving the gun around.

Mimi shrunk down, frightened by his hysterics. She tried to keep her voice calm. "You're right, Pvt. Carr. I didn't know Erica as a friend, only as a patient. But I _did_ care about her welfare as my patient. Everyone who took care of her did."

Pvt. Carr looked unsure at that. He started to pace. He really had no plan. He had expected to come in, kill Ms. Allen and walk out. This room of people was never supposed to happen. He knew there had to be cops out there, and they didn't care why he was here.

All they cared about was saving the precious hostages. One of the doctors spoke up. "Pvt. Carr, we understand your sorrow. We want to help. This isn't the way. Please, we will make sure that nothing happens to you."

"You can't make that promise! You're just a stupid doctor! I've lost everything! What else is there for me to live for? I'll get kicked out of the Marines!" Pvt. Carr was still pacing.

"_Kicked out of the Marines, that's what he's worried about?" _Mimi thought to herself. "Pvt. Carr! I can make that promise. My husband works at NCIS. He has the ear of the Secretary of the Navy." Mimi shifted her right hand out from under her but hid it behind her.

"I will make him protect you. You don't want to do this; it's your grief making you act this way. I remember how wonderful and loving you were when you came here. I know that is who you really are." Mimi held her breath, hoping she was getting through to this disturbed young man.

_**As a Retired Nurse, I can relate to having to "turn things off" in order to get through the day. When I first started working 3p-11p SICU at Baylor in Dallas, I used to dream my entire shift every night only at the end of my dream I realized I had another patient that I had forgotten about and didn't give care to for the 8 hours I was on duty. That's why so many Nurses burn out: the 12 hour shifts, the required OT, the horrible things they see, and the abuse often thrown at them by patients, families and doctors. Not every unit or every hospital is bad in that respect, but it wears a body and mind out. You know you're a Nurse when you can eat ice cream out of a stool specimen container. (A sterile one of'course, but you get my drift) Sometimes you have to look past the reality and go on as if things are normal. I just wanted to explain the different perspectives of Pvt. Carr and Mimi. Thanks for listening and following the story. Much more to come.**_


	47. Chapter 47

"_**You can't make that promise! You're just a stupid doctor! I've lost everything! What else is there for me to live for? I'll get kicked out of the Marines!" Pvt. Carr was still pacing.**_

"_**Kicked out of the Marines, that's what he's worried about?" Mimi thought to herself. "Pvt. Carr! I can make that promise. My husband works at NCIS. He has the ear of the Secretary of the Navy." Mimi shifted her right hand out from under her but hid it behind her.**_

"_**I will make him protect you. You don't want to do this; it's your grief making you act this way. I remember how wonderful and loving you were when you came here. I know that is who you really are." Mimi held her breath, hoping she was getting through to this disturbed young man.**_

Chapter Forty-Seven: "Negotiations"

Tim and Lily pulled into the parking lot at NCIS. He grabbed Lily's hand as they walked toward the building. "Lily, I am counting on you to keep both Abby and Ziva calm. They are both too far along, I don't want them to be more upset than they already are."

Lily looked at Tim, frightened. She knew she had to be strong for her mom, but Tim reminded her of the possible dangers for Ziva and Abby. She squeezed his hand. "Would it be possible for Sean to come here? He's been texting and calling me."

Tim looked at Lily as they got in the elevator. "Sure, just tell him to have the Security Guards call me when he gets to the Lobby and I will come down and get him." Lily hugged Tim tightly. He looked at her seriously.

"We are going to get your mom out, you know that, right?"

Lily nodded her head, hoping with all her heart it was true. The elevator doors opened and she practically ran into the lab. "Abby! Ziva!" She called out.

"We're over here." She heard Abby call out. She and Tim followed her voice to the back office, where they found both Abby and Ziva lying on cots.

"Abby, Sweetie, are you ok?" Tim rushed to his wife's side, and then glanced anxiously at Ziva. Abby smiled wanly. "Doctor's orders.  
She said. At Tim's confused look, she clarified. "Dr. Mallard's orders. He has forbidden us to watch the TV, and insisted we lie down and stay quiet and calm."

Tim looked at Lily, who shrugged and smiled a bit. "How's that working out for you, Abbs?"

"It sucks!" She yelled. "Sorry, supposed to be quiet and calm." Tim finally noticed the candles and incense and remembered her attempt to ward off the evil spirits when Tim had shot that Undercover Cop. He smiled in spite of himself.

"Are you ok, Ziva? Tony will want a full report."

Ziva was lying on her right side, rubbing her belly. "He is being very active and kicking me quite a bit. Maybe he knows it is not bed time." She looked fondly down at her in utero son. "He is not allowing me to rest, but I am calm, as calm as I can be anyway."

Tim nodded, reassured. Ziva would not hide anything if something was wrong. She only had two more months to go, and she had a history of premature birth. Now would not be a good time for Baby Boy DiNozzo to decide to make his appearance in the world.

Ziva reached her hand out to Lily, who took it. "Lily, are you ok?" She asked softly.

Lily knew she was supposed to hold it together, to take care of Abby and Ziva, but she couldn't lie. "No." She said, the tears sliding down her cheeks. "But Daddy and Tony are there and I know they will take care of Mommy."

"Damn straight!" Abby said. "Sorry, swore I would quit swearing so the little ones wouldn't hear bad language too soon." At that, Lily laughed, needing to release her pent up anxiety. Trust Abby to say the right thing.

"Lily, go call Sean. I'll wait here." Tim instructed her. She looked sharply at Tim, wondering if he was trying to get her out of the room so she wouldn't hear what he was going to say to Abby and Ziva, but he wouldn't say anything to upset _them_, that was the whole idea. She got up and went over by the windows.

Tim looked at Abby and Ziva, who were looking at him with questioning eyes. "I don't know much, eight hostages including Mimi. No demands yet. The FBI's Hostage Rescue Team and Negotiator are in the clinic. Fornell's in charge and Gibbs and Tony are with him."

They both sighed, already knowing that Mimi would be inside. They were glad Fornell was in charge. He would look after Gibbs. Tim got up. "I'm heading back. I'm letting Sean come to be with Lily. As soon as he gets here, I'll leave." He kissed Abby and squeezed Ziva's hand.

Tim only had to wait about fifteen minutes before Sean showed up. He met him in the Lobby and got him a visitor's badge. Before he took him to Abby's lab, he filled him in on what was happening.

"Just be supportive, don't let her fall apart, and don't let her talk you into turning on the news to follow what's happening!" McGee was a little sharper than he intended, but Sean understood.

"You can count on me, Sir." He said, as they got off the elevator. As he entered the lab, Lily caught sight of him and ran to him. He hugged her tightly, stroking her hair.

Tim watched the two for a few minutes. "Abby and Ziva know how to reach me if you need to. I'll be back later." He went in and said good-bye one more time to Abby and Ziva and headed back to his car and Walter Reed, his heart heavy.

**Walter Reed Naval National Medical Center, Women's Health Clinic**

Inside the clinical area, the members of the HRT were strategically placed along the hallway. There were five outside the room Pvt. Carr held the hostages. It was one of the examination rooms, all of which had a viewing port in the door so staff could look in to make sure they weren't interrupting something before entering.

Either Pvt. Carr didn't notice it, or he didn't care. The FBI agents weren't stupid: they didn't stand and look into the room. Instead, they used a micro-camera probe that they could snake up to the edge of the window. Every time Pvt. Carr looked away, which was quite often, they could turn the camera so that they could see the whole room.

What they could see was that Pvt. Carr was armed, and upset. It appeared that none of the hostages had been injured, which was good news.

The Lead Agent, John Austin, spoke with the Hostage Negotiator Agent Nathan Krieder. "He looks like he has no real plan. I don't think he expected to have to take hostages."

"Big ego." Krieder nodded. "Walk in, do the job, walk out. Piece of cake. Dumb shit!" He looked at his notes. "Ok, so we know he just lost his wife and child on…January 3rd, a week ago today. Other than last Friday, he and his wife were always seen by Ms. Mimi Allen, a Nurse Practitioner. Why didn't she see them on Friday?" He looked at Austin.

"She was on her honeymoon. She just married NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

"Gibbs! Fornell's friend? Well ain't that just great. Is he and his team outside?" Krieder looked concerned.

Austin nodded. "Yes, but there are just here as…family, I guess. Mrs. Gibbs has an adult daughter, Lily, from her first marriage. And two members of Gibbs' team are expecting and they come to clinic here."

Krieder nodded. "Why should they be happy, when he isn't?" He looked at the room. "Has he made any contact with anyone outside the room?"

Austin shook his head. Krieder nodded. "Ok, let's get this wrapped up." The rooms all had an intercom system. Krieder pressed the "talk" button and began to speak.

"Pvt. Carr. My name is Special Agent Nathan Krieder. I'm the Hostage Negotiator with the FBI. I will be the person you will be in contact with, so we can end this and try to resolve what it is you want."

Pvt. Carr startled at the voice appearing out of nowhere. He listened quietly as Agent Krieder explained his job. "Negotiator? You think this is Priceline or something? You can't give me what I want back!"

Krieder looked at Austin. "Is this door locked and what is the status of the gas?" Austin went down the hall to talk in his walkie. He pressed the intercom again. "Pvt. Carr, I understand your grief. And you are right: we can't give you back your wife and child. What is it you want?"

"I want someone to pay!" He screamed. "This should never have happened. It's all her fault!"

Mimi cowered again, as he blamed her for this tragedy. She didn't dare look at the viewing window as she didn't want to draw his attention to it. It was clear he didn't know it was there.

The FBI was being very discreet and she had not caught any movement out of the corner of her eye.

"Whose fault, Pvt. Carr?" Krieder asked gently.

"Hers! Ms. Allen's or perhaps I should now say Mrs. Gibbs!"

That surprised Mimi; that he knew she had gotten married. She looked at the others, wondering if any had told him she had been on her honeymoon last week when he brought Erica in, but none of them looked guilty or ashamed.

"Pvt. Carr, Mrs. Gibbs was not even there when you wife passed away. She cannot be responsible." Krieder countered.

"She should have been here. Instead, she was off enjoying herself!"

"_Shit, he's blaming her for not being there and saving his wife." _Krieder thought to himself.

"Pvt. Carr, I know in your heart you want to believe that. But the clinic has outstanding Doctors and Nurses, the same ones who cared for your wife. Mrs. Gibbs could not save your wife when they were unable to, if she had been here."

Pvt. Carr wavered. "I just want her back."

"I know. I lost my wife last year and not a day goes by that I don't want her back with me. But that can't be. You do not want to hurt these people, the same people who cared for your wife. It will make her death meaningless."

Pvt. Carr dropped his arms, seemingly in defeat. "Ok." He said. "They can go. She stays." He said, pointing at Mimi.

Her coworker's looked at Mimi in alarm. She smiled at them encouragingly. "Get out, while you can." She told them.

Pvt. Carr looked around. "If anyone tries anything funny, I will start shooting."

Agent Krieder didn't like leaving a hostage in there, even if it meant saving seven other lives. But he took his victories as he got them.

Pvt. Carr motioned to the others. "Stand up!" Slowly, painfully, the seven other hostages got themselves to a standing position.

Agent Austin was back. "When he opens the door to let them out, we can take him." Krieder shook his head.

"He said he would start shooting. We could lose the whole group."

Austin argued. "All I need is an inch. I can pull off a head shot in two seconds." Krieder looked at the Agent.

"I'd rather not resort to that until there are no other alternatives. So far, he hasn't hurt anyone, physically anyway."

"Not true. According to Agent Fornell, he is the only suspect in the murder of a Marine private from his unit, a case NCIS got called out on Monday."

Agent Krieder swore again. "We can't let him suspect we know about that. Then he will really have nothing to lose. Status of the gas?"

Austin nodded. "They are rigging it up as we speak. It will come in through the air vents." Their attention was turned to the room as they could hear the door being unlocked.

"I want everyone away from this room. I will let one person out at a time. If I see anyone near this room, acting like they are going to take a shot or storm the place, I will kill a hostage." Carr ordered.

"Move everyone down the hall, now!" Krieder ordered. Austin started to protest, but Krieder shoved him. "Now!"

The HRT move down into the reception area, leaving the hallway empty. Krieder used the intercom from the main office. "The hallway is clear. Let the first hostage go."

The door slowly opened and the OR Tech stumbled, and then ran down the hall. Once he got into the waiting room, one of the Agents took him to another room for debriefing. Slowly, one by one, the remaining six hostages Pvt. Carr was willing to release were let go.

The Nurses were crying. "What about Mimi? She just got married. He's going to kill her." One of the Doctors went up to Krieder. "This guy is totally out of it, which is understandable, but this! You have to do something. Mimi had nothing to do with his wife's death. She doesn't deserve to be treated like this."

Krieder led the doctor to some other Agents. "Tell them what you can about this guy. Is there any other way into that room?" The MD shook his head. "Each exam room only was one entrance."

"And one exit." Krieder murmured. "Ok, back down the hall!"

**Walter Reed- FBI Command Center**

Fornell had been listening through his earpiece, which he started using once the Negotiator was in place. Gibbs caught the change in his expression and looked at him, questioning. Gibbs stood still as Fornell walked over to his friend. "DiNozzo!" Fornell called him over to join them.

Gibbs looked warily at his FBI counterpart. "What is it, Tobias?"

Fornell looked away, and then looked Gibbs in the eye. "Pvt. Carr has let seven of the hostages go."

"Seven." Tony repeated.

"Mimi." Gibbs said, his eyes dead. Fornell shook his head.

"He wouldn't let her leave. She's still a hostage." Gibbs nodded numbly and went and sat down. "Jethro, listen to me. They're going to have to use the gas, it's the only way."

Tony looked at Fornell. "Is there any way to warn Mimi, without letting Carr know? At least she will know what is happening and can maybe better protect herself."

Fornell conveyed the message to Austin. Agent Austin spoke quietly with Agent Krieder. "Fornell wants to know if we can warn Mrs. Gibbs we are using the gas, to give a head's up?"

**Women's Clinic**

Krieder thought about it. "The only way I can think of is to try to work it into the conversation or put up a sign in the port hole, which he could see."

He looked through the mini-cam to see what was going on in the room. He had praised Pvt. Carr for his humanity in letting the other hostages go. He could see that Mrs. Gibbs had stood with the others, and he had not forced her back on the ground.

He watched her for a while, hoping she was not going to try to do something. He could see her eyes darting all over the room, making an assessment. "She's going to try to make a move on her own. No, no, don't do it." He spoke out loud.

He had to get Pvt. Carr's attention. "Pvt. Carr, I just want to share some things with you. I just wanted to let you know that your wife didn't suffer. She was sedated, with Nitrous Oxide. She was not in pain. I am sure that will bring you some small comfort."

Carr had tears in his eyes. "She didn't hurt?" He asked. Mimi's eyes widened then quickly became neutral. They didn't use nitrous oxide anymore. Why would they tell him that? They could have told him what they really used. It didn't make any sense…

She stopped. Unless they were sending her a message. Were they going to flood the room with Nitrous Oxide? She didn't like that idea at all. It was toxic stuff and in the wrong hands could kill someone. She had no intention of dying today.

She had backed herself up against the counter and felt for the drawer behind her. She knew inside were scalpel blades. She thought she could open one without Pvt. Carr hearing the paper tearing.

As Agent Krieder spoke more to Pvt. Carr about his wife, she slid open the drawer and reached in. She knew exactly where they were and immediately put her hand on a #10 blade. She withdrew her hands and quietly leaned against the drawer, closing it and quickly and quietly removed the blade from its sterile packaging.

Pvt. Carr turned away and Mimi looked at the port and shook her head and mouthed. "No."

"Did Mrs. Gibbs just tell us not to use Nitrous Oxide?" Austin asked, incredulous.

"Yep, she did." Krieder's mouth was a hard, thin line.

"Pvt. Carr?" Mimi was speaking. She started walking toward him. "I am so sorry about Erica. She was one of my favorite patients. Remember the flowers I sent after her miscarriage in September?"

Pvt. Carr looked at Mimi, confused. Well, yeah she had sent flowers. In fact, she was the only one from the clinic who had. He trembled slightly. "Yeah, I do remember. They were pretty, Erica's favorite. You were always her favorite."

Mimi took a few steps closer. "I know how horrible this has been for you. Did you know my first husband was a Marine?"

"No Ma'am." He replied, the Marine in him coming out.

"He died in Iraq, in 1991. I didn't find out I was pregnant until after he was killed."

Pvt. Carr was stunned. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. That must have been horrible for you."

"It was. I was alone and frightened. But I had the Corp to help me. Do you know my new husband, Jethro Gibbs?" Mimi stepped a few more inches closer.

Pvt. Carr wasn't sure why she had asked that and became wary again. "No, Ma'am." He lied.

Mimi smiled sadly. "He was also a Marine, a Gunny. Served in Panama and Iraq during Desert Storm. His wife and daughter were murdered by a drug cartel because his wife witnessed a murder. He was in Iraq when they were murdered in Oceanside."

Pvt. Carr knew that meant Camp Pendleton. He was shaken by this news and his resolve wavered. Maybe their lives weren't as charmed as he thought they were.

"Have I ever mentioned my friend Ziva? She was captured and tortured in a camp in Somalia for several months. My husband and his team went on a suicide mission because they thought she was dead, but they found her alive and rescued her."

She was almost right in front of him. "Do you remember almost two years ago, in May, when a terrorist planted a bomb at the Navy Yard? One of my friends, Tim, was very seriously injured that day." Mimi didn't see any need to mention she didn't know them at the time and McGee's injury was not life-threatening.

"What I'm trying to say is that bad things happen every day to good people. There's no reason for it. Sometimes there is a single person or a group of people to blame that you know are responsible. But other times, like with Erica, there is no explanation, no blame. It is tragic, but it happened. You need to grieve properly for Erica and your children and this isn't the way to do it."

Outside, Austin and Krieder had been listening with growing concern as Mimi talked to Carr and continued to approach him. "You don't think she is going to try to disarm him, do you?" Austin asked.

They had been looking at the door, to see if they could get the pins out of the hinges without being noisy and obvious. Then they could just remove the door once they started the gas. There were only three of them.

They sprayed them down with WD-40 and began to gently work them up and out. They were on the last one when the screwdriver slipped.

Pvt. Carr had been listening to Mimi, beginning to understand that she had shared some of the same pain he had. Well, not exactly the same, but she had lost her husband; just as he had lost his wife. That had to count for something didn't it?

And those NCIS Agents? He would have never guessed, seeing how happy that woman "Ziva" was, that she had been held and tortured by terrorists. If she had been able to overcome that, maybe there was a way for him to overcome this.

He was ready to put his gun down when he heard the noise. He hissed at Mimi. "It was all lies! You were just trying to distract me!" He grabbed her and held her in a chokehold, not enough to hurt her, but she couldn't get away either.

Mimi tried not to panic. Those stupid Agents! She had him ready to surrender, she was sure of it. Why couldn't they have waited! She understood the need to have to door opened, but for God's sake; did they have to be so butter-fingered about it? They should have had Jethro up here. He could have got that door off its hinges in three seconds without making a sound.

"Do you hear me? I'm not taking any of your lies anymore!" Pvt. Carr screamed.

"Gas! Now!" Austin spoke urgently into his headpiece. They put up the sign in the port= N20, so Mimi would know what was happening.

"Shit!" She yelled, which distracted Pvt. Carr. She remembered what Ziva taught her and elbowed him hard in the abdomen, then fisted him hard in the groin. As he doubled over, she took the scalpel blade and ran it across his wrist, then ran toward the door, starting to feel the effects of the Nitrous Oxide.

The Agents had quickly removed the third bolt and were taking it out of the hinge when they heard the gunshot.

Pvt. Carr grunted as Mimi elbowed and punched him. The shock of the pain as she sliced his wrist stunned him and he lost his grip on her. The room was staring to spin, and his vision was double but he could make out her form running toward the door. Before he lost consciousness, he managed to squeeze off one shot.

Mimi was almost at the door, she saw it pulled away from the frame when she felt a hot searing pain in her head. The blackness swallowed her up and her last thought before losing consciousness was Jethro and Lily.

The other Agents stormed the room, wearing masks, but Pvt. Carr was unconscious from the gas, which had been stopped. He was cuffed and pressure was applied to his wrist cut. Mimi had managed a deep enough cut, but missed any blood vessels.

One of the Doctors from the clinic was rushed down to Mimi's side. "Get her into an exam room!" He yelled.

He examined the wound as another Nurse checked Mimi's pupils and reflexes. They looked at each other.

**Walter Reed- FBI Command Center**

Fornell became instantly alert when he heard the gunshot. Tony caught his movement and went and stood by his side. "Report! What's happening?" Fornell could hear a lot of yelling and a very loud "bang" that reminded him of something heavy being dropped.

Gibbs had heard the urgency in Fornell's voice and ran over, standing by Tony. Unconsciously, Tony put his hand on Gibbs' shoulder. McGee had gotten back by this time and had joined them.

"What's going on Tobias?" Gibbs demanded.

Fornell looked at Gibbs. "Something's happened. I think they went with the gas." He turned back. "Austin! Krieder! Somebody tell me what in the Hell is going on in there!"

Austin spoke first. "We have Pvt. Carr, Sir." Fornell looked at Gibbs and his team. "They have Carr." They all breathed a huge sigh of relief at the news.

Gibbs was tugging on Fornell's sleeve. "What about Mimi? Is she ok?"

Fornell had been listening to his Agents give a full report of what had transpired. He placed his hand on Gibbs' arm as he continued to listen.

Gibbs color drained from his face as he watched the concern grow on Fornell's face as he continued to listen to his Agents. _"If Mimi was ok, why didn't he just say it? What was he waiting for?"_

"Ok, I got it. Good work." He took off his head piece and looked at Gibbs.

"Tobias? Where is my wife?" Gibbs asked slowly and deliberately.

"Pvt. Carr had her in a chokehold. Apparently someone taught her some skills; because she put Carr out of commission long enough to break free."

Tim and Tony grinned at each other at that, but stopped when they saw that neither Gibbs nor Fornell were grinning as well.

"But…?" Gibbs whispered.

"The Agents outside got the hinges of the door. As soon as they saw Mimi go into action, they started the Nitrous Oxide. She ran toward the door, but Carr was able to get a shot off before he passed out."

"No…" Tony said.

"How bad?" Gibbs asked quietly.

"I don't know, Jethro. The docs are with her right now."

"Where?" Gibbs asked, his voice stronger.

"They still have her in the clinic, Jethro." Fornell said gently.

Gibbs rounded on his friend. "Where. Was. She. Shot?" He yelled.

Fornell glanced at the pale faces of DiNozzo and McGee, before turning back to Gibbs.

"Head." He said simply.

Gibbs took off toward the building, Tony and Tim right behind him. Gibbs slowed and turned back to Fornell. He waved Tony and Tim to continue. "You tell them, Tobias. Make sure they know she could be pregnant." He looked at Fornell to make sure he heard.

Tobias Fornell nodded to his friend and watched him run to his wife's side.

_**Oh, my…Thanks for the amazing reviews for the last few chapters. I Twittered during last night's episode but was disappointed Pauley only made a few comments during the show and didn't answer any questions.**_


	48. Chapter 48

"_**Where?" Gibbs asked, his voice stronger.**_

"_**They still have her in the clinic, Jethro." Fornell said gently.**_

_**Gibbs rounded on his friend. "Where. Was. She. Shot?" He yelled.**_

_**Fornell glanced at the pale faces of DiNozzo and McGee, before turning back to Gibbs.**_

"_**Head." He said simply.**_

_**Gibbs took off toward the building, Tony and Tim right behind him. Gibbs slowed and turned back to Fornell. He waved Tony and Tim to continue. "You tell them, Tobias. Make sure they know she could be pregnant." He looked at Fornell to make sure he heard.**_

_**Tobias Fornell nodded to his friend and watched him run to his wife's side.**_

Chapter Forty- Eight: "Truths and Half-truths"

Agent Austin listened closely to Fornell as he conveyed the new information. "Krieder! We need to let the docs know that Mrs. Gibbs could be pregnant."

"Aw, shit!" Krieder said. He was disgusted with the way this had gone down. He had been impressed with her calm demeanor and ability to identify with Pvt. Carr. If he had known she could do those kick-ass moves, he may not have insisted on the use of the gas. He was sure that was what made Carr fire his gun, his disorientation and confusion caused by its inhalation.

He was also pissed that they had been the ones to alert Carr that they were trying to get the door open. That's what caused him to snap in the end. He could almost see him handing the gun to Mrs. Gibbs when they made their blunder.

He knocked on the examination room door and poked his head in. "Update on Mrs. Gibbs. We've just been told she may be pregnant."

"What?" Dr. Trent said. He looked at Christa, the Nurse Practitioner who was with him. "Do you know anything about this?"

Christa looked down at Mimi and shook her head. "If she is, it just happened, maybe on her honeymoon. She had her period in December. I remember because she was complaining about cramps and what a bitch going through menopause was."

Dr. Trent looked surprised. "Menopause? She thought she was going through Menopause?"

Christa shrugged. "Ok, Peri-Menopause. I'll draw some blood and see if there are any increases in her hCG."

**Clinic Lobby**

"This way, Boss." Tony directed Gibbs into the elevator. "Clinic's on the fourth floor." Inside, Tony was crashing and burning. This just could not be happening to Gibbs, _again_.

He knew he had to take charge at this point. Gibbs was on autopilot. He looked at Tim, who mirrored his concern.

They were stopped outside the clinic, where they flashed their badges. The Agents outside insisted that they wait until they spoke with their Team Leader.

Gibbs blew up. "That's my wife in there. Tobias Fornell sent me up here. Now let me in there, NOW!"

"Boss…" Tony and Tim both tried to steady him. Agent Austin came running out. He looked at the three and had no trouble guessing which one was Special Agent Gibbs. "Gibbs, Agent Austin. I was in charge of this situation."

"Yeah? Well your situation got my wife shot!" Before anyone could do anything, Gibbs had grabbed Austin by the jacket and threw him up against the wall.

"Gibbs!" Tony said sharply and with authority. Gibbs stopped and dropped his hands. He covered his eyes then looked up at Austin.

Austin held up his hands. "Hey, if it was me, I'd do the same thing. Let me take you back. I don't know what they're doing but I heard something about a CAT scan." Gibbs' shoulders slumped. He turned to Tony and Tim.

"Do not call Abby or Ziva or Lily until I find out exactly what has happened."

"Got it, Boss." They both replied. Austin led Gibbs down the hallway. Krieder saw them coming and poked his head in again. "Agent Gibbs is on his way down the hall."

Dr. Trent nodded and tore off his gloves and went and stood outside the door.

"Special Agent Gibbs, I'm Dr. Farley Trent. Wish I was meeting you under better circumstances."

Gibbs took his offered hand. "Tell me, how bad is it?"

Dr. Trent hesitated. "You understand this is not my specialty. What have you heard?"

Gibbs looked ready to faint. "That she was shot in the head." He could barely manage to get the words out.

Dr. Trent put a steadying arm on his. "Technically, but it was a graze. She is unconscious. We are taking her to CT to rule out a fracture. She definitely has a concussion. She was also exposed briefly to Nitrous Oxide gas, but that shouldn't be a problem. She is being transferred to Neuro Observation."

At that, Gibbs slid down the wall and put his head between his knees. It was still serious, but it wasn't what he had thought. Dr. Trent knelt beside him. "Agent Gibbs, are you ok? Do you need some water?"

Gibbs looked up at the doctor. "No, I need to see my wife." Gibbs didn't refuse the helping hand up. Dr. Trent opened the door and let Gibbs enter. Mimi was lying on the examination table, her head wound wrapped in bandages. He hated seeing her lie so still. He took her hand, careful to not dislodge the IV.

"Mimi, it's Jethro. I love you, do you hear me? Lily and I are waiting for you." He was sure she squeezed his hand, but he must have imagined it. Just then, the Neuro team showed up.

"Farley, what have we got?"

"Hey Stuart. Bullet grazed the right side toward the temple. She was moving when she was hit and both she and the shooter were suffering from effects of Nitrous Oxide. She has been unconscious since the accident. Reflexes are normal, right pupil slight sluggish response, left pupil normal."

"Ok, people! Let's take her to CT, make sure there's no fracture or brain injury. Come on, move it!" Dr. Stuart Bennett pulled in the stretcher and they moved Mimi. Soon, they were flying down the hall, Gibbs following.

Tony and Tim looked up when they came through the door. They could see Mimi was unconscious, but she was breathing on her own. That was good, right? Gibbs came right behind her and they started running with him.

They didn't ask any questions. Gibbs was in no shape to answer questions while he was running after Mimi. They arrived at Radiology, and were stopped at the door.

"You can't go in. It won't take long I promise." Dr. Bennett put his hand on Gibbs' shoulder. Gibbs nodded and went and slumped in a chair. Tony and Tim walked over. "Boss?"

Gibbs looked at them wearily. "Grazed. Definite concussion, looking to see if there is more damage than they can see on external exam. Wish Duck was here to explain this all to me."

"I can go get him." Tim said.

Gibbs shook his head. "No, if the girls hear Ducky's been sent for, they'll assume the worst."

Tony smiled at Gibbs referring to Ziva, Abby and Lily as "the girls". He sat down next to Gibbs. "What do you want us to do, Boss? Someone at NCIS must be watching the news. It must have been reported that Carr has been taken."

"Which means the word will filter down to Abby and Ziva."

Gibbs shook his head. "Vance put a gag order out. Nothing was to be said to Abby and Ziva until he heard from me. Now, _they_ could have ignored us and decided to watch the news anyway. Have either of you heard from any of them?"

Tony and Tim both shook their heads. Gibbs sighed. "Ok, until we know what we are dealing with, no calls. Once they are done in there and I talk to them, I will call Lily."

Exactly twenty minutes later, the Neurologist poked his head out. "Agent Gibbs, with me, please." Gibbs popped out of his chair as if he was sitting on a spring. Tony and Tim stood up too, tense.

Gibbs followed the doctor into a room with images up on lighted boxes, like what Ducky had in Autopsy except there were a lot more of them.

Gibbs looked over the films, trying to pretend it was someone other than Mimi. The doctor looked at Gibbs. "Don't let all this alarm you. We always take tons of pictures."

Gibbs rubbed his face. "Just give me the bottom line, Doc."

"Understood, Agent Gibbs. Good news, no fracture, no bleeds, no swelling. Mimi is actually starting to come around. I'll take you back there in a few minutes. We will keep her a few days and recheck the scan, since some symptoms can show up 24 to 48 hours after the initial injury."

Dr. Bennett put his hand on Gibbs shoulder. "She was very lucky. Come on, I'll take you back." Gibbs quickly followed him to the CT Scanning room.

He rushed to Mimi's side. "Hey, Babe." He kissed her softly.

Mimi looked at him, somewhat confused. "Jethro?" She asked, not sure she was seeing him for real or imagining him standing beside her.

"You didn't think you could get rid of me that quickly, did you?" He stroked her hair that he could reach. "You are so beautiful." He kissed her again.

"What happened?" She asked, looking around. Gibbs looked at the Doc.

"Hey Mimi, you had a little accident. Got a bump on the head. You may not remember some things before it happened. It's normal, nothing to worry about. You're going to be fine. We're going to keep you here for a few days, just to make sure things are ok."

Mimi frowned. "I don't remember, Jethro."

Gibbs took her hand and kissed it. "Hey, you heard what Dr. Bennett said. It will be ok." Gibbs remembered when Tony had a concussion and lost bits and pieces of several months' worth of memory.

"What's the last thing you remember, Honey?" Gibbs spoke gently; stroking her cheek, hoping it wasn't months ago.

Mimi closed her eyes. "I remember heading into work this morning for our Staff Meeting." She finally said. Gibbs had been holding his breath and let it out in relief. He looked at Dr. Bennett, who smiled encouragingly.

"That's to be expected, and I'm not concerned about the memory loss. Mimi, we're going to move you to your room shortly. Your husband will meet you there, ok?"

"Where's Lily?" Mimi suddenly asked, knowing her daughter would be frantic if something had happened to her.

Gibbs smiled. "She's with Ziva and Abby, entertaining them. Everything's going to be fine. I'll see you in a bit." He kissed her again, a passionate _"I don't ever want you out of my sight again"_ kiss.

Dr. Bennett led Gibbs out of the scanning area and walked with him to the waiting area. Tony and Tim looked tense, but the smile on Gibbs' face caused them both to relax.

"Agent Gibbs, I wanted to speak to you with your Agents." Dr. Bennett turned to Tony and Tim. "Mimi has no recollection of the day's events. Her last memory is leaving for work to go to a Staff Meeting. Considering how traumatic this day has been, I think it best that you do not tell her what actually happened."

Gibbs looked confused. "You want us to lie to her?"

"I guess you could see it that way. I need her to be calm and still for the next 24 to 48 hours. It will be a lot easier for her to do that if she thinks she slipped and hit her head, rather than being held hostage and shot."

"Makes sense, Boss. I certainly think that's what you should say to Lily, at least as far as not being shot. No reason to make her more scared than she already is." Tony had spoken up.

"What if she starts remembering?" Gibbs asked, uncertain. He didn't like this, but he thought of that September in 2011, remembered Rachel insisting that Tony be the one to remember what he had been through, instead of Gibbs filling in the blanks for him.

"It will be better for her to remember on her own. She will know what she experienced rather than having to imagine it. We can notify staff that they are not to reveal the true nature of her injury unless she remembers it and brings it up. We can also have all visitors required to check in at the Nurse's Station before being allowed to see her." Dr. Bennett said quietly.

Gibbs thought about it and looked at Tony. "Tony, you went through this, having a head injury and amnesia. What do you think?"

Tony looked surprised, as he had kind of kicked that whole episode into the round file. "Well, slightly different circumstances, since you thought I had shot and killed an NCIS Agent and it was really important that I remember what happened. Having said that, it was very frustrating and agonizing to be asked about events I couldn't remember, and being told some of what had happened scared the shit out of me."

He folded his arms in front of him. "I'm with the Doc here. I see no reason to tell Mimi and let her imagination run wild, like mine did; or feel like she was letting people down because she can't remember. When it's time, it will come back to her."

Gibbs felt a mild rebuke there, but let it slide. Tim spoke up. "I know I've said this before, but when I crashed my Camaro, to this day I have no memory of it. The whole day is gone."

Gibbs sat down and rubbed his face. "Well, when she goes back to work, I am sure someone will say something. She will certainly learn that Pvt. Carr's wife died. She only found that out today." He stood again, having made a decision.

"Ok, I'm calling Lily. This is the line: they used the gas and Mimi fell and hit her head on the edge of one of the counters. That's it for now, got it?"

"And Mimi? You can't tell her she slipped and fell because she got gassed." Tim pointed out.

Gibbs rubbed his face. "I'll think of something and let you know so everyone is on board. I don't want any slips up in front of her."

"What about Abby and Ziva?" Tony and Tim asked together and looked at each other.

"I leave that up to you, but I don't want to hear about anyone going into labor over this!" Gibbs growled. "Tony, get a full report from the HRT. I'll be going with Mimi to her room. You're on this."

"Got it, Boss." Tony replied solemnly. Just then, Mimi was wheeled out. They all went over to her side, touching her hands.

"Hey, you. Way to go, scaring us this way. You look great by the way." Tony had on his 1000 watt smile.

Mimi smiled back, but then winced. "I know I'm a real klutz sometimes, but I must have done a doozey today."

"That's putting it mildly." Gibbs said. "I'll talk to you two, later." He waved off to Tony and Tim.

They both immediately pulled out their phones.

**NCIS-Abby's Lab**

The three cell phones almost all rang simultaneously. Ziva answered hers first. "Tony?"

"Hi, Sweetie. How are you doing? Is everything ok?" Tony wanted to make sure Ziva and the baby was good before he proceeded.

Ziva rolled her eyes. "Yes, Tony. _We_ are fine. Bored, worried, but fine. Now tell me!"

"Ok, but promise me you will not tell Lily what I am about to tell you. Gibbs is giving her a much watered-down version and that will be the one we are sticking to."

Ziva turned on her other side, so she was facing the wall and her face could not be seen. She frowned. "Maybe you should tell me the 'watered-down' version first."

"Well, to begin with, they got Pvt. Carr. First he let all of the hostages but Mimi out. Lily doesn't need to know that unless Gibbs tells her. They then gassed the room with Nitrous Oxide. As Mimi passed out, she hit her head on one of the counters in the room. She has a concussion, but everything else looks good. They are going to keep her for observation for a few days, just to be safe."

Ziva digested the news. "So what part of that isn't true?"

Tony sighed. "The part about falling and hitting her head. As she was running toward the door after they pumped in the gas, Pvt. Carr shot her."

Ziva was able to suppress her gasp. "In the head?"

"Grazed her right side near the temple. Mimi has no memory of the events that took place today. So Gibbs is giving her the falling and hitting her head story as well, for now. Just not the part of being held hostage."

"Well, that is certainly better for Lily to hear. Mimi must have been so frightened. Do you know anything else?"

Tony shook his head. "I'm heading down now to get the full report from the HRT. I'm in charge at the moment."

Ziva nodded, knowing that's how it should be. Gibbs needs to be with his wife, not running an investigation.

"Are you and Abby ok to get home? I don't want you sticking around NCIS and I don't know how long I'll be here."

Ziva sat up. "I am fine. If Abby is not up to driving, I will bring her home with me."

Tony gave a sigh of relief. "Ok, I'll give you a call when I am heading home. Love you."

"I love you too, Tony." Ziva ended her call and looked around. Abby and Lily were still on the phone.

Lily looked upset, so Ziva was glad for their subterfuge. Abby finally ended her call and looked at Ziva. "Which version did you get?" She asked Ziva.

"Both." Ziva said quietly. Abby nodded and looked at Lily. "Ok, well we stick to the plan." They both slowly got up, stretching to get the kinks out.

"Abby, I can drive you home. I just need to get Karina." Abby looked at Ziva and smiled.

"Could you? I really don't feel like driving at the moment. And I am starved! Maybe we can get some take-out!"

Ziva chuckled. "For you, anything. Let's go check on Lily." By the time they got out of the back office, Lily had hung up with Gibbs. She ran and hugged the both.

"I know you heard. Mommy got hurt, she bumped her head. But she's going to be ok. Sean is taking me to see her."

Ziva rubbed her arm and smiled at Sean. "I think that is a very good idea, Lily. I will be taking Abby home, once we collect my daughter."

Lily looked conflicted. "Oh, I want to see Karina! But I need to go see Mommy and Daddy."

"Shoo!" Abby said. "We'll all be here. Go see your mom, she was asking for you." That did it. Lily quickly gathered her things and grabbed Sean's hand.

"Drive carefully, no need to run any red lights to get there! And don't forget, your mom doesn't remember anything about the whole hostage thing." Abby admonished them.

Sean nodded. "I'll get her there safely, don't worry." Abby and Ziva watched them leave. "I do think that he is a definite keeper." Abby murmured. She took Ziva's hand. "Let's go get the munchkin and get the Hell out of Dodge. Shit! I mean shoot! So much for not swearing."

**Walter Reed Naval National Medical Center, Women's Health Clinic- FBI HRT Command Center.**

Tony got off the elevator on the fourth floor and went hunting for Agents Austin and Krieder. He found them in the hallway by the room the hostages were being held.

"Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, NCIS. I will be handling things while Agent Gibbs is occupied elsewhere." He shook their hands.

"DiNozzo!" Tony turned to see Fornell walking toward him. "How's Jethro?"

Tony looked serious. "Holding up considering what he's just been through. I'm here to find out what Mimi just went through." He turned back to the other Agents.

"Not here." Fornell led them into one of the conference rooms; probably the one Mimi's Staff Meeting this morning had been in.

"What do you need to know, Agent DiNozzo?" Agent Austin asked.

Tony looked at him with a _"you're kidding, right?"_ expression on his face.

"Everything." Tony said, not smiling. "I want to know what went down, what went right, what went wrong."

Austin and Krieder looked at Fornell, who nodded. "What went right? We got seven hostages out without incident. What went wrong…"

"Other than Mimi getting shot?" Tony prompted.

Fornell gave it up. "We screwed the pooch on this one, DiNozzo."

Tony's eyes snapped back to his, alarmed. "What do you mean?"

Krieder rubbed is eyes. "What he means is we messed up. Mrs. Gibbs had talked him down. He was ready to hand over his weapon to her."

Tony looked back and forth between the men. "And something went wrong?"

"We did." Austin said with disgust. "We were removing the bolts from the door hinges, so we could take it off the frame to get in. We were doing it quietly while Mrs. Gibbs had his attention. You should have heard her, she was magnificent."

Tony had to smile at that, but then turned serious again. "So, again, what exactly went wrong?"

They looked at each other. "Well, we were concerned she seemed to be taking matters into her own hands. So we rushed to get the bolts off so we could release the gas. We got the first two off without incident, but on the last one, the screwdriver slipped."

"And Carr heard what you were doing and broke Mimi's spell." Tony interjected, pissed. "Then what happened?"

"Well, you already heard about that. Pvt. Carr grabbed Mimi and held her. As soon as she realized we were pumping in the gas, she…what exactly did she do? I just heard that she 'immobilized' him." Fornell looked at Austin.

Austin and Krieder grinned. "First she rammed her elbow into his midsection, and then slammed him in the balls. That was enough for him to let go of her. She had gotten hold of a scalpel blade and sliced his wrist. Who taught her those moves? Gibbs?"

Tony shook his head. "My wife. She's former Mossad." At that, both Austin and Krieder's eyes bugged out.

"Anyway, she made a run for the door, before the effects of the gas overcame her. Pvt. Carr was clearly confused and dazed and got off a shot. Mrs. Gibbs looked directly at us and indicated we were not to use the gas. I think if we hadn't, he maybe wouldn't have pulled the trigger, but that is conjecture on my part. He certainly wouldn't have if we hadn't alerted him to what we were doing. She was seconds away from getting that gun out of his hand. Dammit!" Krieder hit his fist on the table.

He eyed Tony. "It would have been nice to know that she had those skills."

"Are you implying we withheld information that impeded your rescue efforts? First of all, that is really offensive. Second of all, to my knowledge Mimi has never been in a situation like this before. Do you always tailor your rescue plans to the abilities of the victims involved? And to tell you the truth, until you just spoke about it, I had forgotten Ziva had given her the training, and what there was of it was minimal." Tony was seething.

"Don't pin your mismanagement of this situation on NCIS or Mimi. You are the ones who screwed up!"

Fornell put his hand on Tony's arm. "Ok, DiNozzo, calm down. No one is blaming NCIS. We take full responsibility for this. Let's put this aside for now. Tell me, how is Mimi?"

Tony calmed down a bit and gathered his wits. "Extremely lucky. The bullet grazed the right side of her head toward her temple. She has a concussion, but so far everything else is negative. They are keeping her a few days for observation and to make sure none of those later problems don't show up."

He took a breath. "And don't plan on getting a statement from her any time soon."

The FBI Agents all looked at each other. "Why is that, Agent DiNozzo?" Krieder asked.

Tony looked him square in the face. "Because she has retrograde amnesia. The last thing she remembers is heading into work for a Staff Meeting. Right now, no one is to tell her she was in a hostage situation. Another reason will be given for her fall and injury until she remembers on her own or…"

Fornell sat back in his chair at that. "Or she finds out some other way. Well, maybe that's a good thing for now, at least for her. How's Jethro holding up?"

"I'm in charge." Tony commented, which he implied to mean that should give Fornell his answer.

"Understood."

"Where is Pvt. Carr now?" Tony asked.

"He was taken to the ED until he recovered from the Nitrous Oxide. The plan is to transport him to a holding cell at the Navy Yard, and then charges can be filed. By the way," Agent Austin handed over two evidence bags.

"Here's his weapon and he bullet. We pried it out of the door. Lucky no one else got hit." Tony took the items and looked at them. Austin cleared his throat.

"Uh, Agent DiNozzo. Mrs. Gibbs promised Pvt. Carr that her husband would talk to the Secretary of the Navy and ask him to be lenient with him. Apparently, he is concerned about getting kicked out of the Corp."

Tony looked at the Agent like he was nuts. _"Why would Mimi do that?_" Tony thought to himself. Then he realized she didn't know they had linked a murder to him. She was just thinking of him being distraught over losing his wife and taking hostages. If no one was hurt, then maybe things wouldn't be so bad for him.

"Well, I guess he should have thought about that while he was murdering Pvt. Gilson in cold blood. I don't suppose he thought to mention that to Mimi, did he? No, I didn't think so." Tony stood up and looked at Fornell.

"Gibbs is going to want to know what I learned, you know."

Fornell shook his head wearily. "I'll tell him, DiNozzo. Go home and take care of your own family. It's been a rough day."

_**You knew I wouldn't make it too bad; I **__**am**__** Mimi after all people! For the review from "Guest" who told me to kill Mimi…how could you want Gibbs to go through that again? Jeepers. **_


	49. Chapter 49

"_**Uh, Agent DiNozzo. Mrs. Gibbs promised Pvt. Carr that her husband would talk to the Secretary of the Navy and ask him to be lenient with him. Apparently, he is concerned about getting kicked out of the Corp."**_

_**Tony looked at the Agent like he was nuts. "Why would Mimi do that?" Tony thought to himself. Then he realized she didn't know they had linked a murder to him. She was just thinking of him being distraught over losing his wife and taking hostages. If no one was hurt, then maybe things wouldn't be so bad for him.**_

"_**Well, I guess he should have thought about that while he was murdering Pvt. Gilson in cold blood. I don't suppose he thought to mention that to Mimi, did he? No, I didn't think so." Tony stood up and looked at Fornell.**_

"_**Gibbs is going to want to know what I learned, you know."**_

_**Fornell shook his head wearily. "I'll tell him, DiNozzo. Go home and take care of your own family. It's been a rough day."**_

Chapter Forty-Nine: "Some Questions, and Some Answers"

Gibbs sat by Mimi's bed, holding her hand. She had fallen back asleep, which worried him, but the Nurse said it was ok. He caressed her wedding band, trying to keep all the horrible thoughts that had been running through his head away.

He heard a light knock on the door. He slowly got up, feeling much older than his years. He cracked the door open slightly, then pulled it open all the way, engulfing Lily in a bone-crushing hug.

"She's fine, Sweetie, she's fine." Gibbs whispered in her hair. Lily stepped back and nodded. She looked over at her mother, lying in the hospital bed. Slowly, she made it to her side, and took her hand.

"Mommy?" She called, her voice wavering. She smiled when she saw Mimi's eyelids flutter. Mimi looked confused again, her head pounding. She had heard a voice, but it sounded so far away. "Mommy?"

She looked to her right and saw Lily. She squeezed her daughter's hand, worried at her red puffy eyes. She said the first thing that came to her, thinking when Lily used to fall down and hurt herself when she was a child. "Mommy fall down; Mommy go boom." She said quietly.

Lily looked at her mother, and then broke into a huge grin. Everything was going to be ok. "Do you need a Boo-boo Bunny?" Lily asked, as fresh tears erupted, happy tears this time.

There was another knock on the door and it opened on its own. It was Dr. Farley Trent, Mimi's colleague who had treated her initially in their clinic.

"Hey, Mimi. Looking good." He smiled at her.

Mimi looked embarrassed. "I can't believe I fell. How did it happen?"

Trent looked momentarily flustered. "I wasn't there when it happened, Mimi. I think Christa said you slipped or something." He looked at Gibbs, trying not to convey his nervousness.

Mimi shook her head, and then winced. "Hey, let me see if I can get you something for pain. You understand of'course this is out of my area of expertise but…"

"I'll go with you." He turned to Mimi. "Since Lily is here, I'll go get some coffee." He kissed her again and caressed her cheek. He looked at Lily.

"How did you get here?" He asked.

Lily smiled. "Sean. He's in the waiting area. They wouldn't let him back, since he's not family." Lily was not happy at that restriction, but she wasn't going to argue with her mom's co-workers.

"Ok, I'll check on him as well." He looked at Dr. Trent and nodded at him, indicating he would follow him out.

Once they were outside, Dr. Trent turned to Gibbs. "I hope I didn't mess up in there. I wasn't expecting Mimi to ask me that question. Guess I should have, though. Mimi is nothing if persistent. She will badger everyone until she is satisfied with what happened. That is until she remembers." He looked at Gibbs. "Do they think she will remember?"

Gibbs looked back at the door and cocked his head the way he does when he is thinking. "Don't know. Maybe, maybe not. Have to play it by ear, so I guess we better come up with a good reason for Mimi to slip and fall, and hit her head."

"She doesn't remember her emergency after our meeting. Everything turned out ok with that, so we can say she slipped on some blood that was on the floor and fell against the counter. That would sound plausible to her." Dr. Trent was chewing his lower lip.

"If you say so. Is there usually blood on the floor like that?" Gibbs looked closely at the doctor.

"In this case there was, and it certainly is not unheard of. Fortunately, it's not the rule but the exception." He turned to Gibbs. "I actually came to talk to you and Mimi about her lab results, but since her daughter is in there, it's probably not a good time."

Gibbs froze when he heard "lab results". "What lab results?" He asked cautiously.

Dr. Trent looked at Gibbs. "We were told that there was a possibility that Mimi was pregnant?" He hoped he hadn't spilled some secret Mimi was keeping.

Gibbs was tense. "Yes, I told that to the FBI, to make sure you knew that it was a possibility."

Dr. Trent visibly relaxed. "Ok, well I'm relieved I didn't just tell you something you weren't aware of. If it's not too personal, may I ask why you and Mimi think she might be pregnant?"

Gibbs eyed the doctor. If it was anyone else, he would have snapped back at him that it _was_ too personal and none of his business. "We had an 'accident' on our honeymoon." Gibbs said quietly.

Dr. Trent nodded. "Condom broke?" Gibbs looked surprised, but didn't answer.

Trent took that as a yes. "Well, you understand that it is way too early to tell whether or not Mimi will carry a child to term, but what I can tell you is that based on her hCG levels, you guys definitely conceived. I'm not sure when you had your accident'…"

Gibbs' mouth was slightly open. He got his wits back, and answered quickly. "January 3rd."

Trent nodded his head. "hCG levels don't show up until days 7-9, so that correlates pretty well. By now the embryo should have implanted. I think now we should wait and see to make sure everything is ok, considering what happened today."

Gibbs' mouth is dry. "So you're saying we shouldn't start rushing around and tell everyone that Mimi is pregnant." Gibbs couldn't believe he had just said that. How could things be this different in just a matter of seven days? His mind was a whirlwind of images.

Dr. Trent had been watching Gibbs and could well imagine the shock this news would be for Mimi as well. He didn't think a baby was part of the plan. He nodded, smiling sympathetically. "I think we should tell Mimi, and then just wait and see; see if she misses her period, take a home pregnancy test after being late two weeks. Sure, we can do stuff in the office a lot sooner, but I think maybe Mimi needs to forget what she does for this one."

Gibbs looked at Dr. Trent and understood what he was saying. Gibbs suddenly thought of Lily. He hadn't even officially adopted her yet, and here they were, maybe adding another child to the family. How would she take this news? Would she think that he, Gibbs, didn't think Lily was enough? That he _had_ to have his own biological child with Mimi to be fulfilled?

Gibbs walked down to the cafeteria, and got his coffee. He stepped outside on the patio, to get some fresh air. It was cold. It was going to snow tonight. He didn't know the forecast, he could just tell by the way the sky looked, the way the air smelled, the way his knees ached…

Damn! He really was too old for this. But what was done was done. He just hoped Mimi didn't freak out. He would tell her the next time they were alone. She needed to be told.

He remembered that he promised Lily he would check on Sean. He headed back up to the unit and found him sitting patiently, looking at something intently on his iPad.

"Sean?" Gibbs stood in front of him to get his attention.

"Agent Gibbs!" Sean popped up. "Sir! How's Mrs. Gibbs?"

Gibbs smiled. "She'll be fine. Thanks for bringing Lily. What are you looking at there?" Gibbs pointed to the iPad.

"Oh, this…I was just studying." Sean put it away. Gibbs shook his head.

"Let me go check on Lily. I'm sure visiting hours will be over soon. Looks like it could snow. You be careful driving home, Sean."

"I will, Sir." Sean nodded.

Gibbs headed back into the unit and knocked lightly on Mimi's door before entering. "Hey." He poked his head in. Mimi was sleeping again, and Lily was sitting next to her, holding her hand.

Lily got up when Gibbs came into the room and hugged him. "I was so scared." She said, hiding her head in his chest.

"I know, Lily. Me too. Come here." He took her into the hall. "The story is going to be that while she was working on her emergency patient, who she doesn't remember at this point, there was blood on the floor. That's what she slipped on and made her fall. Just in case she asks again."

"Do you know the name of the patient?" Lily asked, concerned.

Gibbs shook his head. "No, but it _is_ a real patient. We can just say they couldn't tell us because of patient confidentiality."

"Well, that's for sure." Lily nodded. "Did you talk to Sean?'

"Yeah, I did. Listen, the weather is looking bad. Go on, let Sean take you home. I'll stay with mom tonight. Go home, get some rest." He kissed her on the forehead.

She hugged him tightly, and then kissed him on the cheek. "Ok, Daddy." She went back in and kissed her mom goodnight, then made her way from the unit to find Sean.

**Tony and Ziva's Home**

It was almost ten p.m. before Tony got home. He entered his home quietly, hoping his family was sleeping. He should have known better.

Ziva was sitting at the kitchen island, sipping hot tea. She saw how tired Tony looked, and her heart ached for him. It had been a horrific day.

Tony reached her side and hugged her tightly, letting her massage the tension from his back. They held each other for about two minutes before Tony finally pulled his arms back. He grabbed Ziva's face and kissed her passionately.

Ziva drank him in with all of her senses. She knew exactly what he was feeling right now. She was just as stressed and worried as he was. They comforted each other, grateful that they had someone to come home to, to share the good and the bad.

"How's Mimi?" Ziva finally whispered. Tony sat down next to her and gratefully took the beer she had placed at his hand. He took a big swallow before answering.

"She's in her own room by now. I saw her briefly after they did the CAT scan. Gibbs is with her. Lily's seen her by now…" Tony took another big gulp. He looked defeated.

"This was just so stupid." He looked at Ziva. "First, this guy targeting Mimi and blaming her for things she had no control over. And then the FBI does a major screw up and she gets shot."

Ziva looked closely at Tony. "What do you mean; the FBI did a 'major screw-up', Tony?"

Tony looked at her, his eyelids heavy from exhaustion. "Mimi had him ready to hand over his gun, she had convinced him to give up."

He shook his head. Ziva touched his cheek and whispered softly. "What happened to change that?"

Tony closed his eyes, then opened them and looked at Ziva. "The 'Boys' made too much noise and reminded Pvt. Carr there was a whole group of bad guys out in the hall with guns just itching to shoot him."

Ziva could just imagine his reaction. "Did he hurt Mimi? Other than when he shot her, of'course?"

Tony shook his head. "He grabbed her and she hurt _him_. She used some of those moves you taught her and actually got away. They pumped the Nitrous Oxide in and Carr got the shot off before he passed out."

"_Tembels."_ Ziva mumbled under her breath. "Gibbs will be furious when you tell him this."

Tony agreed. "Yep, and that's why _I_ won't be the one telling him. His good buddy Tobias Fornell volunteered to cop to the blunder. I hope he lives." Tony sighed and put his arm around Ziva. That's when he finally noticed all the take-out containers.

"Chinese, Thai, Pizza, Fried Chicken…did you have enough for dinner?" He smiled at Ziva.

"Most of this is Abby's. She is eating for two you know. She was starved. I don't think she ate lunch, which is not a good idea in my opinion. I ate my fair share, but even I could not mix all of this. Abby chose the food. It was my treat."

Tony pulled her close. "You've had a long day, too. I expected you to be in bed asleep. Why are you still up?"

Ziva laid her head against Tony's shoulder. "I was waiting for you to come home. I did not want you to be alone when you walked in the door."

"I love you." Tony said simply, kissing her temple.

Ziva leaned into his kiss, feeling tears threatening to spill at any moment. "I love you, Tony. Are you hungry? Can I get you something to eat?"

Tony smiled into her hair and closed his eyes. "No, I'm good. Let's just go to bed. I have to deal with Pvt. Carr tomorrow. I want this day to be over and done with."

Ziva reached for his hand, and together they walked upstairs, hoping for pleasant dreams and the warm comfort of each other's arms.

**Walter Reed **

Gibbs was dozing in the recliner that was in Mimi's room when he heard her stir. He checked his watch: one a.m. He sat up and reached for her hand. "Hey, how are you doing? Are you in pain?"

Mimi turned toward his voice. "My head hurts, but it is tolerable. Nothing I wouldn't take more than Tylenol for."

Gibbs got up, swiveled around and sat on the bed. He caressed her cheek. "Do you want me to get you something?"

Mimi started to shake her head, but thought better of it. "No. Just relax, go back to sleep."

Gibbs bit his lip, wondering if this was the best time to say anything. But he couldn't keep this to himself. Someone from her office might mention the lab test and the results.

"Mimi?"

Yes…" Mimi voice sounded amused.

"Do you remember our 'accident' on our honeymoon?" Gibbs carefully measured his words.

Mimi frowned. "Well, yeah, it only happened a week ago. My memory loss isn't _that_ bad." She looked at him strangely. "Why?"

Gibbs took a deep breath. "Well, when I found out that you had a head injury; I didn't know what kind of tests they were going to do…so I told one of your docs what happened."

Mimi looked at him, stunned. "You actually told Farley your condom broke?"

Gibbs squirmed, very uncomfortable. "Well, not exactly. I just said we had an 'accident' on our honeymoon, and to think of the possibility that you might be…you know. He was the one that actually said 'condom broke'. I didn't confirm or deny."

Mimi was listening closely. "So, they would take precautions when they were doing tests. Well, I can't blame you for your concern, Jethro. Although I really think we don't have anything to worry about."

Gibbs swallowed. "Well, actually Mimi, they did some sort of blood test, some hormone test thingy?"

Mimi looked alert, searching Gibbs face for any sign of fear, anxiety, elation…

"And?" Mimi wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer but she waited patiently for Gibbs to spit it out.

"He said that we…uh…conceived and that some levels in your blood are elevated. You'll have to ask your friend. I didn't really get much past 'conceived'."

Mimi stared at Gibbs, in shock. "I'm pregnant? Jethro, please tell me you are making this up."

Gibbs frowned. "I know we didn't plan on children, but no, I'm not making this up, and _I'm_ ok with it. But your doctor friend said we need to wait to make sure, you know, wait until you are late, and take a home pregnancy test. He said that you need to forget what you do for a living."

"Oh my God!" Mimi started to cry.

Gibbs was distressed. "Mimi, Honey. It will be ok. I mean, I'm a little old to start over again with a newborn, but if this is what we have, then I'll be the best diaper changer this side of the Mississippi."

At that, Mimi started to laugh. "Jethro, my baby is finally leaving the nest. I was planning on enjoying just the two of us, and the grandkids of'course. And _I'm_ no spring chicken, either. Older mothers are at greater risks for complications, and miscarriage; and the babies are at higher risk for birth defects, especially Down's syndrome." She stopped talking.

"What are you saying? Do you not want to have the baby?" Gibbs asked quietly.

Mimi looked startled at that. "Oh, Jethro. I just never thought I'd have to think about this again. But if things take hold and work out and we find out the old-fashioned way that I am truly pregnant, well then, I guess we're going to have a baby."

Gibbs was surprised at the grin he felt spread across his face. "What about Lily? I don't want her to think that she's not enough for me."

Mimi looked confused at that, and then understood his meaning. "Lily understands how babies are made, and she understands about equipment failure because I've drilled it into her, plus her medical training. She may have some difficulties with it initially, but I think she will be fine. But I don't think we should say anything until we know that things are continuing as they should."

"Ok." Gibbs bent down and kissed his wife. "I'm pretty shell-shocked as well by all of this, but I will take good care of you and our baby and be there for you every step of the way."

Mimi felt the tears again. This was so different from when she was pregnant with Lily. Her husband was dead, and while her family was a tremendous help and extremely supportive, she still felt like she did it all on her own.

She wrapped her arms around Gibbs' neck and cried into his shoulder. "I love you so much. There's no way I can do this without you, so don't even think you have an option."

Gibbs chuckled. "Only one option as far as I'm concerned."

**NCIS**

Morning came too soon for Tony and Ziva. Tony wanted Ziva to stay home; especially since Mimi wasn't at their beck and call should she not feel well. But she insisted she was 'fine', tired but fine.

Even Karina had picked up on the mood, and was cranky and uncooperative, delaying their leaving the house.

Then, inexplicably, she threw a tantrum when they tried to drop her off at daycare, clinging to Tony and Ziva and screaming.

They looked at each other, somewhat at a loss. "Go upstairs, Tony." Ziva said quietly. "I will stay down here for a while until she settles down. It's not like I'm doing much anyway." Ziva sat in one of the rocking chairs with her daughter, gently talking to her.

Tony kissed his girls, and turned to leave. "Tony." Ziva called out.

He turned to look at his wife and daughter, comforting each other. "Please stop by Abby's lab and make sure she is ok. I know Tim will take care of her, but I want you to check on her as well."

Tony smiled and blew them a kiss. He went down two levels and got off at Abby's lab. He found her sitting on her stool, staring at her computer monitor.

"Abbs?" Tony said quietly.

Abby looked at him, her color pale, no eye makeup, her pony tails skewed. "Hi, Tony." She said without enthusiasm.

Tony walked quickly up to her and began massaging her shoulders. "Abby, Mimi will be fine. We got the guy and the killer of Pvt. Gilson. You need to take care of yourself. Where's McGee?" Tony thought Tim should know how bad his wife was looking right now.

"He's at his desk. He didn't want me to come in today, but I couldn't stay home alone." She looked blankly at her monitor again.

"Ok, this is what I want you to do. Go to daycare and sit with Ziva and Karina for a bit. Then when Karina will let Ziva go, you come upstairs and sit with us. If you need to do any work, I'll send Ziva down with you, ok?"

Abby brightened, and then frowned. "Karina was a problem this morning?"

Tony nodded his head. "Big time. Biggest tantrum ever. I think she picked up on our mood."

Abby nodded in understanding. "Children are very perceptive and empathetic to those around them. I better go spread some Abby cheer."

Tony inwardly sighed in relief. Abby had perked up, even if it was only to cheer up his daughter. He didn't care what the reason was. The ends justified the means.

He dropped her off on the floor the daycare was one, and continued up to the Bullpen. Tim was hard at work. He looked up when Tony came in.

"Where's Ziva? Is she ok?" Tim looked extremely worried.

Tony waved him off. "Karina pitched a fit when we tried to leave her in daycare, so she's down there still trying to calm her down. I stopped by the lab. Abby is not good, Tim."

Tim looked distressed. "I know. I tried to get her to stay home, but…"

"She doesn't want to be alone, McGee. I sent her to daycare, gave her a mission. She's happy now. I told her to come up here and sit with us until she has some work to do."

"Thanks, Tony. Glad you're looking out for her. I really appreciate it." Tim smiled tiredly.

Tony clapped Tim on the shoulder. "Time for work. Is our 'guest' here yet?"

Tim looked grim. "Pvt. Carr was transported to the holding cell at 8 p.m. last night. Are you going to interrogate him?"

"Unless you want to." Tony said. "Vance hasn't called us off, for being too close to the case. At least not yet. Is Vance in? Maybe I should chat with him first." Tony was rubbing his jaw, thinking.

"He was here before I arrived." Tim confirmed.

Tony nodded. He took to the stairs and went into the outer office. Vance let him in immediately.

Tony filled in him on what he knew about Mimi. Vance was pissed. "I've already spoken to Agent Fornell, so I know about their screw up. Does Gibbs know yet?"

Tony shrugged. "I haven't spoken to Gibbs since last night. But Fornell volunteered to be the sacrificial lamb."

Vance nodded. "Hopefully, we won't have another murder investigation on our hands. I understand our suspect is here. Are you able to control your emotions to do the interrogation, Agent DiNozzo? I know this is a case close to the team. I can call in…"

"No, I'm good. I'm not going to be nice, but I won't hurt him, I promise." Tony said, without humor.

Vance smiled slightly. "Damn straight you won't, although I'm sure there's already a line forming down the hall, and _I'm_ standing in it. I _will_ be watching from the other side, just in case you…change your mind."

Tony smiled back. "Understood. The other side may be a little crowded though."

Vance considered that probably every member of Gibbs' team will want to watch the interrogation, to see what Pvt. Carr has to say for himself.

He wasn't sure he wanted Agent David and Mrs. McGee back there. In fact, Abby had no reason other than personal ones to be in interrogation, so he figured he could quash that notion before it got started.

Agent David however, was another story. She and Mimi were very close. He looked at Agent DiNozzo as he left. Vance decided he would leave it up to Tony, and not get involved.

Tony headed back downstairs. He called Ducky and asked him to join him and McGee in interrogation. Agents Austin and Krieder had just arrived, being required by Vance to give statements. Tony greeted them tersely.

He sighed and called Ziva on her cell. "Hey, how's Karina?"

Ziva smiled. "She is better, now that Abby is here. Thank you for sending her up. Is everything ok?"

"I'm getting ready to interrogate Pvt. Carr. I'd rather you stayed down there, or come back up here. But I really don't want you watching."

Ziva was half amused, half pissed. "Are you going to hurt him and you don't want me to see? Or do you think I will not be able to control my emotions?"

"Don't get mad. You know why I don't want you in there. You can see the tape later, if you have to. Just do what I ask, at least this once?"

Ziva smiled at Tony's "just this once". "You make me sound like a wayward child, Tony. I will stay away, because you are concerned for _our_ well-being." She knew he was worried because she was seven months pregnant and he didn't want anything causing her to go into labor.

Tony breathed a sigh of relief. "The restriction applies to Abby as well, although she has no reason to be there anyway."

Tony looked up toward Vance's office. "The Ugly Suits are here now giving their statements to Vance. I may need to identify the bodies later."

Ziva laughed and snorted at that. That made Tony smile. "Ok, I've put this off long enough. I'll call you when we're done." Tony ended the call.

He looked at McGee. "Ready, Tim?"

Tim stood up. "I'm ready when you are, Tony."

"Let's go stuff a dummy."

_**Ok, you got a partial answer to the question regarding whether or not Mimi is pregnant. Only a week has passed since the honeymoon and the hostage situation, so it was kind of soon to say yes or no. Out of the multitude of PM's I received, the response was overwhelming regarding yea or nay. Stay tuned, and thank you so much for the great reviews, favs and follows, and welcome to my new readers who are finding my other stories. This story will wrap up soon. I don't like to have too many chapters and I am going into the fifties here. But fear not! The story will continue in a new "Life" story. PM me with your ideas of a new "Life" title and if I pick your suggestion, I will add you as a character.**_


	50. Chapter 50

_**Tony breathed a sigh of relief. "The restriction applies to Abby as well, although she has no reason to be there anyway."**_

_**Tony looked up toward Vance's office. "The Ugly Suits are here now giving their statements to Vance. I may need to identify the bodies later."**_

_**Ziva laughed and snorted at that. That made Tony smile. "Ok, I've put this off long enough. I'll call you when we're done." Tony ended the call.**_

_**He looked at McGee. "Ready, Tim?"**_

_**Tim stood up. "I'm ready when you are, Tony."**_

"_**Let's go stuff a dummy."**_

Chapter Fifty: "Interrogation and Revelations"

Vance, Tim and Tony looked through the viewing window as Pvt. Carr sat quietly at the table, his hands and ankles in shackles. He was a big guy, and they weren't going to take any chances with his emotional state. There were MP's in the room with him, ready to step in should he snap.

Tony clutched his folder and nodded at Vance and Tim. "Ok. Here we go."

Tony exited the viewing room. Pvt. Carr looked up when Tony came in. He recognized him immediately, and he knew that he would be angry.

"Sir…" Pvt. Carr began.

Tony just held up his finger. He said nothing. He began by spreading out some pictures: a picture of a "dead" Navy Seaman, a "dead" Marine Private, a "dead" civilian, and a "dead" female Marine Lt, with an equally "dead" baby.

Pvt. Carr looked at the photos of his handy work, the mannequins he had so meticulously prepared and placed. He couldn't stop the slight smile that started, but he quickly suppressed it. But not quickly enough.

"You think this is funny, Pvt. Carr?" Tony asked, his voice quiet but deadly.

Carr looked up startled. "No one got hurt…"

Tony cut him off. "You're right, no one got hurt. This was a stupid, adolescent prank, even if you _did _shoot at us. Just from this alone, we can get you for, oh at least trespassing which is a misdemeanor. Maybe misuse of Federal resources? I'll have to look that one up, not sure that's a real crime. That pot shot you took, however? I think attempted murder of a Federal Agent is a pretty serious charge."

"I wasn't trying to kill anyone!" Pvt. Carr protested.

"Maybe." Tony countered. "And maybe you would have beaten the rap, since you didn't hit anyone. However…" He pushed the last photo of the female and baby mannequin toward him.

"_This_ one. There's something _really_ bothering me about this one." Tony stared at the Private, giving him his classic DiNozzo quizzical look.

Pvt. Carr stared at the picture and suddenly realized his error in using the blood from Private Gilson.

"You see, we have a dead Private in our morgue. And it _just…so…happens_ that _his_ blood is on _your_ mannequins. And you placed these mannequins at the _exact same spot_ that we found Pvt. Gilson's body. I don't know, maybe it's just me. For some reason, I have a problem with that." Tony just looked at Pvt. Carr.

Carr began to squirm. "I didn't do that last mannequin." He began, his voice shaking.

"Oh, but you did. You see, the thing about having a big ego is that you get sloppy. You couldn't button the top with your gloves on, so you had to remove them. We got a fingerprint off of two of the buttons and what a surprise! They match _yours_." Tony grinned.

Tony threw down family pictures of Pvt. Gilson. "He worked with you. His wife just had a baby two months ago. You were angry and jealous. Why should he be happy when you weren't?"

Tony glared at him and threw the autopsy photos down. Pvt. Carr looked away. "Look at them!" Tony yelled.

Pvt. Carr jerked. He looked at Tony's face, seeing the anger just seething below the surface. He was frightened for the first time.

"I want Agent Gibbs! Mrs. Gibbs said he would help me. That he could talk to the Secretary of the Navy, that he would keep me in the Marines!" Pvt. Carr looked around, a few tears escaping.

"Keep you in the Marines?" Tony asked incredulously. He, of'course already knew about this development from the FBI. He sat back and studied the Private.

"Well, I _would_ have Special Agent Gibbs here, but he is unavailable. Oh wait! He's at Walter Reed with his wife because _you held her hostage and then shot her!_" Tony leaned forward and ended all pretense of control.

Vance and McGee looked at each other, concerned.

Pvt. Carr looked through the window. "Help me! He's going to shoot me!" He screamed.

Tony smiled wide. "I would, but I'm unarmed." He opened his coat jacket. "You see, we have rules and procedures and we abide by them. But your friends here," Tony pointed at the MP's. "They _are_ armed. And I have no control over them."

Tony changed his tone of voice to one of concern. "Look, I know what it's like to lose a loved one. I know what it's like to fear losing a baby. And if _all_ you did was those stupid ass mannequins, you wouldn't be sitting here right now."

"And maybe if all you intended with your escapade yesterday was to scare some people, maybe then you wouldn't be sitting here with shackles on."

Pvt. Carr started to relax. It was going to be alright.

"But the problem is; you killed a member of your unit in cold blood. That's called: _Premeditated Murder_. That's kind of hard to ignore, you know? I wish I could just kind of…hide it under the table." Tony removed the photos of Gilson and threw them under the table.

"But, unfortunately for you, we have enough evidence to prove that you committed the murder, and as I said; we have rules and procedures and we abide by them. You had motive and opportunity." Tony shuffled the remaining mannequin photos into a stack and put them aside.

"And then you decide to go after your wife's Nurse Practitioner because you were too stupid to listen to her medical advice." Tony shook his head. "You expected to walk in, shoot Mrs. Gibbs and walk right back out, didn't you? You never planned or expected a hostage situation. That's premeditated murder, _again_, in my little black book of charges. And then of'course we do get to add holding people hostage and shooting a Civilian employee of a Military Facility."

Tony rubbed his chin, pretending to look confused. "Or maybe that's _assault with a deadly weapon_ and never mind all that stuff about Civilians and Military?" Tony shrugged, all semblance of confusion erased. He stared back at Pvt. Carr. "You see my problem here, don't you?"

"Hey, they drugged me or something. I don't remember shooting anyone!" Pvt. Carr protested.

"Perhaps." Tony said. "But you know what? At the end of the day it doesn't really matter. The murder of Pvt. Gilson is going to send you to Leavenworth for life. Taking Mimi hostage and shooting her? That puts you on our…_personal list_." Tony smile was evil and dangerous. "That's a list you really don't want to be one."

"Hey, he just threatened me! Don't I have any rights?" Pvt. Carr cried out.

"Sure you do." Tony said. "You were read your Miranda Rights when you were brought in. I don't see an Attorney present." Tony looked around, frowning comically as if he couldn't see someone who was standing there.

Pvt. Carr started crying. "But she promised…"

Tony slapped his hand on the table. "Mimi didn't know you murdered Pvt. Gilson when she made that statement to you. And even the all and powerful Special Agent Gibbs cannot make a murder charge go away. Man up! You _did_ this, you _planned_ it. Take responsibility for your actions. _You _were the one who caused ALL of this, no…one…else!"

Pvt. Carr looked down, his tears falling on the table. "I…I…I just want Erica back." He sobbed.

Tony sat quietly, letting him cry. He knew when to push and when to sit back and let nature take its course.

"I thought Mrs. Gibbs meant Erica _couldn't_ get pregnant, I didn't understand she meant it was _dangerous_ for her to get pregnant. When she got pregnant again, so soon after…after." Pvt. Carr couldn't speak of the miscarriage.

He looked up at Tony. "I was so proud! And I proved her wrong! I believed she didn't know what she talking about."

"And then it all went wrong, again. And she wasn't there! Erica and my son died and she wasn't there!" Pvt. Carr looked angry. "I went back to work and that stupid Gilson was boasting about his new baby talking or walking or something else ridiculous about a two month old. What an asshole!"

"Bet that made you angry." Tony said quietly.

"You bet it did! Erica and I deserved the same happiness. _I_ deserved the same happiness. It wasn't fair!"

"No, it wasn't." Tony nodded, sympathetically.

"I…I followed him to Potbelly's, at the National Harbor. I told him my car broke down and needed a ride back to base. Once we got going, I pulled my gun on him and forced him to drive to a deserted area near the waterfront. He cried like a baby." Pvt. Carr sneered in derision, intimating that Pvt. Gilson deserved to die because he wasn't man enough.

"And then what happened?" Tony asked, quietly, giving Carr his time to tell the story, but moving him along.

"I restrained him, and then…I killed him." Pvt. Carr put his head down on the table, sobbing.

"How did you kill him?" Tony didn't want any problems with this confession, no questions unanswered.

Pvt. Carr didn't look up. "I stabbed him. I stole a scalpel from the clinic when I took Erica in on the 3rd. I…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Tony turned and looked at Vance and McGee. He got up quietly and left the room.

Vance watched Carr sobbing in the interrogation room. "You have to admit that his methods aren't always pretty but he gets the damn job done." He turned when Tony opened the door.

"Good job, DiNozzo. I'll call JAG and tell them we have a confession. Get him back into holding." Vance turned to McGee. "I'll call Gibbs and let him know."

Tim nodded, knowing that Vance also wanted to know how Mimi was doing, but was using this as an excuse.

Tim smiled when Tony came back. "You had me worried a few times in there, but I have to say it, Tony. You were brilliant."

Tony looked surprised at the praise. "I wished I felt a sense of relief over this, but I don't."

Tim looked concerned. "Why? We got our murderer _and_ our mannequin wacko in one fell swoop."

"Yeah, I know." Tony said, calling Ziva.

"Then what's the problem, Tony?" Tim looked closely at the Senior Field Agent.

"The problem, Tim, is that there is always another 'wacko' on the horizon. We got this guy. We got the one before that. When do we start to fail and the _wacko's_ start to win? Yeah, hey Ziva. We're done. It's done." He walked away, aware that Tim was staring at his retreating back in confusion.

**Walter Reed**

Gibbs saw the readout on his cell. _"Vance"._ He looked at Mimi, who was sitting up trying to eat what they called breakfast. "Hey, have to take this. I'll be back." She waved him off, already seasoned in the ways of NCIS.

"Yeah, Gibbs." He answered as soon as he got away from Mimi's room. He continued walking into the waiting area so he could stand by some windows.

"Gibbs, how's Mimi?" Vance got right to the point.

Gibbs smiled. "Awake and complaining about the hospital food."

Vance smiled at that. "Sounds like she's going to be ok. Gibbs, DiNozzo got the confession from Pvt. Carr. He isn't going to hurt anyone ever again."

Gibbs closed his eyes. He never doubted how this was going to end for Pvt. Carr, but he was glad to know it instead of imagine it. "Wish I had been there to hear it."

"No, you were where you needed to be. But it is all recorded if you feel the need to watch it." Vance looked out his window. "How long will Mimi be in the hospital?"

Gibbs sighed. "I think they are keeping her one more day, want to make sure nothing else shows up. I don't understand all the medical stuff."

Vance smiled and nodded in understanding. "Well, take your time; take care of your family. And Gibbs. You should have told me about the mannequin at your home. But we'll talk about that later." Vance hung up.

Gibbs looked out the window, staring in the direction of the Navy Yard. Vance was right, he should have told him. Maybe he _was_ getting too old for this, but this time he wasn't thinking about fatherhood.

He headed back to Mimi's room, his head hurting. He was surprised and upset to find Mimi crying when he got back.

"Mimi, Honey, what's wrong?" Gibbs held her in his arms, crying to soothe her, and totally at a loss.

"I…I remember, Jethro. I remember being taken hostage by Pvt. Carr!" She cried.

Gibbs closed his eyes, relieved, but still concerned about what she remembered.

"Yeah, I know. We couldn't tell you. You had to remember it on your own. I'm sorry, Mimi." Gibbs kissed her temple.

"I thought you said to never apologize." She sniffed.

Gibbs smiled. "Rule #51. Sometimes you're wrong." He turned her to face him. "We got Pvt. Carr. No one was killed. You're safe now."

She searched Gibbs' face. "Did I really slip and fall?" Her voice was a whisper.

Gibbs hesitated. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Mimi frowned in concentration. "I remember sitting on the floor with seven of my co-workers. I remember the FBI was outside, one of them was talking to him."

"Agent Krieder, Negotiator for the FBI." Gibbs answered.

"Yes, that was his name." Mimi continued to think. "I think he let everyone but me go…?" She looked at Gibbs for confirmation.

Gibbs nodded. "Anything else?"

Mimi shook her head. "That's it."

Gibbs rubbed his face. "I haven't been briefed yet on the whole operation, but what I can tell you is that at some point, Pvt. Carr grabbed you. You then proceeded to remove yourself from him."

Mimi looked at Gibbs in shock. "What does _that_ mean?"

"All I know is that you 'incapacitated' him."

"I did _what_?" Mimi exclaimed.

"You got away from him, Mimi. The FBI flooded the room with Nitrous Oxide. Before he passed out, he was able to fire his gun." Gibbs looked at Mimi with concern, worried how this was going to affect her.

Her eyes got large with understanding. "He _shot _me? In the _head_?"

"Graze. This gave you a concussion and a slice in your scalp. Mimi, the doctors didn't want us to say anything to you. They said it would be better for you to remember on your own."

Mimi sat there, stunned trying to absorb this news. She paled. "Wait! What about Lily? What does she know?" She searched Gibbs' face.

Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, she obviously knows about the hostage situation. She went there to meet you for lunch and saw all the cops there. Plus it ran on ZNN, which is how we initially found out."

"Oh, Jethro…" Mimi caressed his cheek.

"Mimi, we haven't told her about you being shot. We told her you fell after passing out from the effects of the gas and hit your head. I didn't want her freaking out, and I also needed her to be believable with you."

Mimi was silent, digesting this news. Gibbs kissed her again and placed his forehead against her temple. "Do you think we should tell her the truth? I didn't like lying to you _or_ to Lily. Your doctor insisted on it." Gibbs felt like he was passing the buck, copping out. But it was true. He _didn't _like it and had questioned it.

Mimi leaned into him, closing her eyes, trying to forget what she was just now remembering. She came to a decision. "Yes, she needs to know the truth. We'll tell her together." Gibbs leaned back with her and sighed. He just wanted to lie there and hold her for the rest of his life. Life was cruel sometimes, though. His cell rang.

Gibbs looked at the readout. _"Fornell"_. Gibbs kissed Mimi again. "Gotta' take this, may be a while."

"Jethro, go into work. I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere and I will call you if they decide to discharge me today instead of tomorrow."

Gibbs looked closely at her, hoping she really wasn't angry and kicking him out. But she looked calm, not angry. Worried and concerned; but not angry.

"Are you sure?" He asked, hesitant. Mimi took his hand and squeezed it. "Go to your team. They need you." She whispered.

Gibbs kissed her on the lips, conveying how much he loved her. "I'll be back." He promised, kissing her hand.

He turned back and smiled, then left her room.

**NCIS**

Gibbs had called Fornell back, and agreed to meet him at NCIS. He got back before Fornell arrived and strode into the Bullpen. He was surprised to see Abby sitting at his desk.

"Abbs, are you ok?"

"Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs! Oh my God, is Mimi ok? Why are you here, why aren't you there? What…"

"Abby!" Gibbs finally pulled her off of him, although it was getting harder for her to totally wrap her arms around him, since her waistline kept expanding. He held her face.

"Mimi is fine. You need to calm down. McGee! Take care of your wife!"

Tim had already stood and was at Abby's side. He led her to his chair and sat her down. Tony and Ziva had already come to Gibbs as well.

He looked at his team, noting the dark smudges and bags under their eyes. "Mimi remembers the hostage situation."

Tony winced. "What about being shot, Boss?" Ziva took his hand quietly in hers and squeezed it.

Gibbs shook his head. "The last thing she remembers is Carr letting the others leave. But I told her what happened. At least as much as I know. Fornell is on his way here to de-brief me. So she knows she got shot."

Tony, Ziva, Tim and Abby all looked at each other when Gibbs said Fornell was on his way. Tony was startled when Gibbs spoke his name.

"You talked to the HRT?" It really wasn't a question.

"Yes, Boss. Went down and got their statements right after you left with Mimi." Tony looked wary. He didn't want to tell Gibbs what happened, but he had no plausible reason to _not_ tell him if he demanded it, other than the wrath of Gibbs.

"Good. I want you in there with me and Fornell." Gibbs started heading for the Conference Room.

Tony looked worried. "Really, Boss? Why? Don't you trust Fornell to tell you what happened?"

Gibbs stopped and turned around to face Tony. "Fornell is FBI but _Tobias_ is my friend. He may conveniently forget some details to spare my feelings. I want to know if he leaves anything out." He turned and started walking again.

"Ok, Boss. I'll wait for Fornell." Tony called after him. When Gibbs turned the corner, he spun around, swearing. "Shit! I don't want to witness Gibbs tearing Fornell limb by limb. Then I'll have to be depo'd as a witness!"

Ziva hid her smile and placed her hand on her husband's chest. "I do not think Gibbs will kill Fornell, Tony."

"No? Well, maybe he'll kill me for not telling him the minute I found out!" Ziva lost her smile at that, which alarmed Tony all the more. Just then the elevator dinged and Agent Fornell walked warily into the Bullpen.

"Is Jethro here?" He asked, looking serious and frankly, worried.

"Ah, Agent Fornell. First, let me say that it's been nice knowing you." Tony held out his hand and smiled wide. "Second, Gibbs asked that I sit in, to make sure you tell him everything. Since I talked to Austin and Krieder, I will know if you leave anything out."

Fornell looked insulted. "Gibbs thinks I would lie to him? That Bastard!"

Tony grabbed Fornell's arm. "He's concerned you might leave out some 'not so pleasant' details of what Mimi went through to spare his feelings, because you are his friend." Tony stared at Fornell, making sure he understood what he was saying.

"I'll be damned. Didn't think he thought I was that considerate. Good to know. Ok, DiNozzo, take me to my death." Fornell followed Tony to the Conference Room.

**Conference Room **

Gibbs looked up as Tony and Fornell entered the room. Fornell spoke right up. "How's Mimi, Jethro?"

"She'll be ok. She got her memory back. At least part of it."

Fornell looked sharply at DiNozzo, glaring at him for not sharing that bit of news.

"What's the last thing she remembers, Jethro?" Fornell asked, sitting down.

"That Pvt. Carr let the others go and kept her. So I need the blanks filled in. What happened after that to when Mimi got shot?" He looked at Fornell, his blue eyes taking on the steely glare when he was tense.

Fornell sighed. "Gibbs, I'm not going to beat around the bush with this. We screwed up."

Gibbs looked confused and sat up straight in his chair. "Define, 'screwed-up'."

Fornell sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "Jethro, Mimi talked to Pvt. Carr. She had him ready to hand over the gun and give up."

This revelation stunned Gibbs. He looked at Tony, who just nodded and sat down. "So why didn't he?" He barked.

"HRT was trying to get the bolts of the door, so they could get into the room quickly if they needed to use the gas." Gibbs nodded, agreeing that was standard operating procedure.

"Yeah. And?" Gibbs leaned in closer and looked at Fornell.

Fornell looked back at his friend. "The first two came out with no problem. On the last bolt, we made too much noise and distracted Carr from Mimi."

Gibbs sat back in disbelief. "Son of a Bitch! That's when he grabbed her, isn't it?" He demanded.

"Yes, Jethro. We knew we blew it, so we immediately started the gas. Mimi knew what was up, because we were able to warn her. She rammed her elbow into his gut, and then slammed him in the balls. Somehow, she had managed to get a hold of a scalpel blade; I don't know how _that_ happened. She sliced his wrist and took off toward the door as we were prying it off the frame."

Despite his anger at how things went down, Gibbs had to smile at the description of Mimi taking this guy down. He shook his head in amazement. He looked at Tony. "Ziva?"

Tony nodded. "After the second mannequin, Ziva thought she could use an introductory course in how to defend herself. Apparently Mimi is a quick learner."

He nodded; amazed again by this remarkable woman he now called his wife. But that thought faded as he brought his mind to the here and now.

"Ok, so Mimi 'incapacitates' Carr; I believe that is the term you used when you told me she had been shot. What happened next?"

"Well, they were becoming overcome by the gas, Mimi almost made it to the door, but Carr squeezed off a shot."

"Pvt. Carr claims to have no memory of firing his gun." Tony added.

"Great. Well, that adds to our theory that it was the disorientation from the gas that caused him to shoot."

Gibbs looked at Fornell sharply. "Are you saying that if HRT hadn't distracted Carr, Mimi would have got the gun from him and none of this would have happened? HRT using Nitrous Oxide and Mimi getting shot?"

"We can't deny that is a strong possibility, Jethro. It's just conjecture on my part. I wasn't up there."

"No, but Austin and Krieder were, and it is their belief that Carr was ready to hand over the gun when your guys slipped up." Tony added.

Fornell stared at Tony. "Remind me to never get on your bad side, DiNozzo."

Tony didn't smile. "What makes you think you're not on it right now?"

"Tony…" Gibbs spoke quietly. He was angry, so angry he wanted to shoot someone. He knew Fornell was just the messenger, and he gave him credit for not only admitting the error, but being the one to tell him about it. Tony had to hear it from Austin and Krieder.

"Are Austin and Krieder relatively unscathed?" Gibbs asked, thinking Tony may have clocked one of them.

"Boss, I'm hurt. I would have given you first dibbs." Tony pouted.

"You're taking this rather well, Jethro. Better than I thought you would." Fornell sounded relieved.

"Oh, I'm pissed Tobias. But that's not going to change anything is it? Hopefully your guys won't screw up the next hostage situation." He stood up. Tony and Fornell stood as well. Tony opened the door.

Ziva, Tim and Abby stood up quickly, looking guilty. Tony grinned. He should have known they would be listening at the door. They looked alarmed and quickly rushed back to the Bullpen.

Gibbs arrived seconds after they all scrambled back to their desks, typing away at nothing. He smiled and shook his head. "Go home. Your weekend has been ruined enough."

They all looked up and smiled in relief. Tony grabbed Ziva's hand and Tim grabbed Abby's.

_**One more chapter, then on to the next series! Thanks again for the reviews and support.**_


	51. Chapter 51

"_**Oh, I'm pissed Tobias. But that's not going to change anything is it? Hopefully your guys won't screw up the next hostage situation." He stood up. Tony and Fornell stood as well. Tony opened the door.**_

_**Ziva, Tim and Abby stood up quickly, looking guilty. Tony grinned. He should have known they would be listening at the door. They looked alarmed and quickly rushed back to the Bullpen.**_

_**Gibbs arrived seconds after they all scrambled back to their desks, typing away at nothing. He smiled and shook his head. "Go home. Your weekend has been ruined enough."**_

_**They all looked up and smiled in relief. Tony grabbed Ziva's hand and Tim grabbed Abby's. **_

Chapter Fifty-One: "A Life Full of Surprises"

Mimi's Birthday celebration was more subdued than originally planned. She had only been discharged two days before, and although she felt well, Gibbs was not going to over tax her.

Not only that, her birthday was on a Tuesday, the 14th. A school night. Pretty much put a damper on any late night reveling. So the team gathered at Gibbs and Mimi's for a very low-key party.

Breena made the cake, her fabulous "Chocolate Insanity Cake with Cherry Cordial Death". "You really should open your own bakery." Abby said as she nearly swooned, savoring a delicious morsel.

Even though their back yards were connected, they had another snow storm, as Gibbs had predicted. A foot of snow was on the ground, making walking through the backyards impossible for the heavily pregnant Abby. They had all driven over, their cars filling the driveway and street.

She looked at Ziva, who was eating a larger piece of cake. "It's not fair! Ziva is farther along than I am but I am way huger than she is." Abby complained. Abby was in fact quite a bit bigger than Ziva.

"Abbs, you're carrying twins. Of'course you're going to be bigger than Ziva. But you're not fat, you're beautiful." Tim kissed his wife.

"Oh, Timmy. You always know the right thing to say. But Ziva is still kind of small don't you think, even if she is only having one baby?" Abby frowned, looking at her friend chatting with Gibbs and Mimi.

Tim looked at Ziva critically. He shrugged. "I guess I would have to compare pictures of how she looked when she was as far along with Karina. I think she looks fine. Mimi doesn't look worried, so I don't think you should worry either, ok?" He kissed her mouth again, tasting the chocolate icing from the cake.

"Mmmm…that _is _good. I'm going to have a piece!" Tim headed for the cake.

Tony walked up to Tim. "Eating for two, McGee?" He joked. Tim glared at him.

"Very funny, Tony. This is my first piece." Tim placed the slice on a plate and grabbed a fork.

Tony touched Tim's shoulder. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"

McGee looked surprised, then concerned. "Everything ok, Tony?"

"Yeah, just want to talk to you about something." Tony cocked his head toward the basement. Intrigued, Tim followed Tony down the stairs. Gibbs saw them leave and smiled, pretty sure what Tony wanted with Tim.

Once they got downstairs, they looked around. Gibbs had covered up whatever he was working on. Tony resisted the urge to peek, knowing it was probably a cradle for two for Tim and Abby, and he knew Gibbs would want it to be a surprise.

"So what's up, Tony? Is Ziva ok?" Tim asked, his voice laced with concern.

Tony's head snapped up at that. "Why would you ask that, McGee?"

Tim shrugged. "Just something Abby said. She thought Ziva looked too small."

Tony looked upstairs as if he could see Ziva through the ceiling. He shook his head. "Nah, she's the same as she was with Karina. She never got that big, although try telling her that…" Tim nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, Abby is having a fit she's bigger than Ziva is." Tim sighed.

"Well, I would hope so, with two babies in that easy bake oven. Listen, what I want to talk to you about is names."

Tim looked at Tony confused. "Names?"

"Baby names." Tony clarified. "Ziva and I have picked out a name for the baby, but with you and Abby also having a boy, I kind of want to make sure we aren't taking a name you really want."

Tim looked at Tony in shock and admiration. "That's a real nice thing for you to think about, Tony. To tell you the truth, we've talked, but other than the middle names, we haven't decided on the first names yet."

"Ok, are you considering naming any of the babies after anyone we know or in the family?" Tony was trying to be cagey and not reveal the name they had picked out, but he needed to give _some _sort of clue.

Tim looked at Tony, knowing he _had_ just given him a clue. He was wondering who they were going to name the baby after. Karina's middle name was already for Gibbs, so he doubted Jethro was the chosen name.

Tim decided to play with Tony. "Are you counting the dogs?" He asked, his expression serious.

Tony laughed. "Well, Bridget won't work for a boy, although Bailey and Jethro would. No, I can safely say that we are not naming our son after one of the dogs."

Ah, so Jethro was definitely out. Tim decided to quit playing. "The middle names are after family, but so far the first names we have looked at and like are not. We have it down to two names each, none of which are names of people on the team." Tim answered.

"So, no Timothy No Middle Initial McGee, Jr.?" Tony teased.

"So, no Anthony D. DiNozzo, III?" Tim countered.

"Touché." Tony chuckled. "Never in a million years. Ok, good talk. I feel better. I just had this fear of announcing his name after he is born and then Abby bursting into tears saying 'that's what we were naming our son'. Couldn't bear to think about it."

"You're a good man, Tony." Tim grabbed his shoulder.

"I do the best that I can. I am certainly a better man since being with Ziva. I guess love and family does change things, doesn't it?"

"Life is full of surprises, Tony. I have a feeling the best are yet to come." Tim smiled. They headed back upstairs. Tony caught Gibbs' eye and gave a thumb's up.

Gibbs chuckled and shook his head. Mimi was sitting on the sofa with Lily and Sean. She had spoken on the phone to her sisters and dad, wishing her a happy birthday.

They had of'course been terrified by the events of the past few days. Gibbs had called them daily, letting them know Mimi was ok. By mutual agreement, he and Mimi decided to not tell them she had been shot.

She and Gibbs had told Lily together, the day Mimi came home from the hospital. At first she was angry that she had not been told right away, being treated like a child. But Gibbs finally got her to understand it was more for her mom's sake than hers, until she got her memory back. Once she was convinced of that, she was fine with not being told right away.

Gibbs sat down next to Mimi and put his arm around her. "How are you doing? Getting too tired?" Mimi laid her head on his shoulder.

"I'm a little tired, but ok for now. What was that with Tony?" She looked curious.

Gibbs smiled. "I'm just guessing, but I'm pretty sure it was about baby names." At Mimi's quizzical look, Gibbs explained further. "Tony and Ziva have selected a name, which he didn't tell me by the way. But he was worried that Tim and Abby might want to use the name as well. He was worried about their feelings. So from his expression and thumbs up, I am assuming that he feels confident that their son's name is not in the running for Tim and Abby's."

"Interesting." Mimi said. "Tony is certainly full of surprises."

"He's just finally grown up. You should have known him before he met Ziva, and even after. They didn't get together until they'd worked together for…seven years?" Gibbs had to rethink the math in his head.

"Anyway, it took a long time. Tony has always been the brightest, most talented investigator I have ever had, but he was a child emotionally. Well, maybe that's too harsh. Certainly hedonistic, totally incapable of commitment, even with his own father. Looked at life as one big party."

"Did Ziva make that big of an impact on him?" Mimi asked.

Gibbs considered it. "I think from the moment they met, when she was really not part of us and we were suspicious of her and her motives, she definitely intrigued him. But after everything he and Ziva, hell all of us, have been through over the years, he'd have to be brain dead to _not_ be affected by it all in some way."

Gibbs watched Tony hoist Karina on his shoulders, dancing with her. "Fortunately for us, it was in a positive way. He was forced to grow up, and make some adult decisions, to get rid of his fears of commitment and go after what he had been running after all his life."

Gibbs looked at Mimi and kissed her. "Family. He had us, but he needed his own. Ziva gave him that, and he gave that to her. After that, everything else fell into place."

"You mean Tim and Abby." Mimi smiled.

"And you and me. We never would have met if Tony and Ziva had not gotten together." Gibbs caressed her hand.

"Yeah, that was something, although I certainly don't want a repeat of the reason we met." Mimi smiled and looked at both Ziva and Abby.

"I know you haven't seen them 'professionally' since December, but how do you think they are doing?" Gibbs asked.

Mimi continued watching them. "They look good, Jethro. Abby is finally bigger than Ziva, which she should be, but she's not too big. Ziva looks very healthy and has good energy. Abby may have to cut back to half time soon. She's going to have a hard time carrying that extra weight around."

Gibbs looked at his team, laughing and joking with each other. It was a good day today.

**Four Weeks Later**

Gibbs, Mimi and Lily waited impatiently in the courthouse ready room, waiting to be called into the Judge's chambers. Their lawyer had already gone in.

Lily was starting to fret. "What is taking so long? They've been together in there for an hour!"

"Lily, it's been fifteen minutes. Come on, sit down and relax. I'm sure everything will be fine." He grabbed her hand and pulled her down next to him. Ten minutes later, their lawyer came out.

"Ok, you can come in now." He said.

"He's not smiling, Daddy. Why isn't he smiling?" Lily asked, concerned.

"He's a lawyer, Lily. It's the profession. They're not allowed to." Gibbs answered, hoping he was right.

They entered the Judge's chambers, a large executive office with plush chairs. "Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs, Lily Allen: Judge Everett Argison." The Lawyer made the introductions. They all shook hands.

"Please be seated." The Judge instructed. Nervously, they all sat. "I've been reading your application with great interest. It is quite unusual for an adult to be adopted by a step-parent."

Lily started to open her mouth, but Gibbs grabbed her hand and shook his head.

Judge Argison smiled at Lily's almost outburst. "I have step-children myself, that I adopted when I married my second wife. Of'course they were quite a bit younger than you are Ms. Allen." He chuckled.

"But I understand the strong bond of family and of the need to belong. It transcends age and defies logic. The law does not place an age limit on adoption; it only requires that the adoption is in the best interest of the parties involved. After reading your file and the recommendation given by Ms. Coretz, it is my ruling that this adoption be granted. Henceforth, Lily Allen will be known as Lily Gibbs and Leroy Jethro Gibbs will be recognized as her legal father."

They all expelled their breath, unaware they had been holding it in. Lily burst into tears and hugged her parents. Gibbs found his eyes filling with tears. He shook hands with the Judge and his lawyer.

Mimi and Lily also thanked the Judge and the lawyer and left the chamber, Gibbs walking behind them. Once they stepped outside, the cold February air hit them like a slap in the face, but they were too elated to care. Once they got in the car, Gibbs pulled out his cell phone.

**NCIS**

Tony, Ziva, Tim, Abby, and Ducky were waiting in the Bullpen, impatient and nervous. "Shouldn't they know by now?" Abby complained. She rubbed her belly. "Even the babies are excited and nervous."

Tony and Ziva smiled at each other. "I'm sure everything is fine, Abbs. There's no way the Judge will say no, if only for fear of the wrath of Gibbs." Tony grinned. Just then his desk phone rang.

"Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. Boss!" He put the phone on speaker. "How did it go?"

"There's someone here who wants to say hi to you." Gibbs said, unable to keep the grin off his face.

Tony looked at the others, perplexed. "Yeah, who would that be?"

"It would be Lily Gibbs!" Lily yelled out in excitement. Gibbs had to pull the phone away from his ear, the cheers were so loud.  
"Keep it down, DiNozzo, and make sure Abby and Ziva don't get over excited. Only one family member allowed to be added per day."

"Accept of'course when the twins come, Gibbs." Abby piped up. "That will be a two-fer day!"

"Yeah, ok, Abbs. I'll make that one exception just for you and Tim. We're heading in, see you in a bit." Gibbs ended the call. Lily was already calling Sean and talking excitedly to him. Mimi called her sisters and told them the good news.

Gibbs had one more call to make. "Hey, Dad. How are you doing?" Gibbs smiled.

Jackson was behind the counter, as usual. "Business is good, slow today though. How did it go?"

"Well, you have a new Gibbs."

Jackson grin was so wide it threatened to crack his face. "That's great! She would be my granddaughter no matter what those legal types said, but I know it's what she wanted. And you."

"Yeah, Dad. I did." Gibbs said softly.

"I'm happy for you, son." Jackson said. "You deserve all the happiness in the world, even if they come as surprises."

"That's an understatement. This whole year has been one surprise after another. Anyway, wanted you to hear the good news."

"Ok, son. Love you. And give that daughter and granddaughter of mine a big kiss for me."

Gibbs chuckled. "Will do. And Dad? I love you, too." Gibbs hung up.

Abby and Ziva were on half-days now, so they were just hanging out waiting for Gibbs, Mimi and Lily. Although it was tough not having them there full-time, it did work to other's advantage.

Ned Dorneget was temporarily assigned to the team to augment the absence of Ziva. He was absolutely thrilled, but under no illusion that it would be made permanent, however much he may wish it to be.

With Abby not in the lab as much, Tim began spending more time down there. Lily was still doing her internship, which helped with the hours Abby wasn't there, but she wasn't Abby.

Still, she had Abby's touch with her "babies" so everyone felt comfortable with Lily taking lead on the testing. What she lacked in forensics and police work, she made up for with her intelligence, determination and willingness to work hard and learn.

She didn't have the experience to "think out of the box" like Abby did yet, so Tim was there to help her when things were not quite so black and white. There was also an experienced temp Forensic Scientist who took call and covered when the hours were late.

With Tim down in the Lab so much, Dornie became Tony's new "Probie". Despite his harassing and teasing ways, Tony actually enjoyed teaching and mentoring Agents. Gibbs had taken him under his wing, and he always believed in paying it forward.

Now that Mimi was well again, she was back at work, but still spent most of her time at home, working on research and papers. She had seen both Ziva and Abby the end of January and was very pleased with how they were doing, but she invoked the part-time status.

Both were frustrated at first, but then they began to enjoy their "girl time". Tony and Tim would often come home and find both snoring in the plush recliners of Tony's home theater in his Man Cave.

Ziva was able to take Karina home with her and drop her off with Mimi if it looked to be a late night for the team. Otherwise, Tony brought her home when he left for the day, giving Ziva plenty of down time. Karina was thrilled to be with everyone, so she was having a great time spending extra time with "Momo" and seeing Bailey.

**Gibbs and Mimi's Home**

Gibbs looked out their bedroom window. "Punxsutawney Phil" had come out and seen his shadow, so they knew they were in for more winter. Just to prove the point, another snow storm had hit them the day before.

The trees were beautiful, the street quiet, serene. An exact opposite of the mood inside. Gibbs felt Mimi return from the bathroom before he actually heard her. He turned slowly around and faced his wife.

"Well?" He asked, trying to keep his voice and expression neutral.

"We wait." Mimi sat down on their bed, holding the white stick in her hand, purposely not looking at it.

Gibbs went and sat down next to her. Not more than once had he thought that this year had been one surprise after another. Mimi and Lily, DiNozzo baby number two, Tim and Abby AND twins, almost losing Mimi, adopting Lily and now…

"Mimi," Gibbs took her hand and caressed it. "No matter what happens, we'll work it out. If I've learned anything this year is that life is full of surprises, some good and some bad. No matter what, we're going to make this a 'good' surprise." He kissed her temple.

"I hope you're right." Mimi whispered. She had not kept her fears from Gibbs, and he knew she was shaking inside right now, waiting to find out for sure if their lives were about to change forever.

The "ding" of the timer Mimi had set startled them both. They looked at each other. "Ready?" Mimi asked.

Gibbs brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Together, they looked down and saw their future revealed before their eyes.

_To Be Continued…_

_**Oh, I did NOT just do that! Guess you'll have to read the next story to find out what the results are. You have been an amazing audience and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your reviews, favs and follows. I hope you will continue with me as I continue my "Life" series. Still no definite title yet, although there are some good contenders. The following suggestions have been submitted…Stay tuned!**_

"_**Life Unexpected", "Life Goes On", "You Are The Sunshine of My Life", "Life's changing as we know it", "A life at the end of the tunnel", "A Life Lived to the Fullest", "A New Lease on Life", "A Life By Any Other Name", "The enjoyment of LIFE!", "The Seasons of Life", "A Life of Changes", "The Labyrinth of Life". What are your faves?**_


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